A discussion of various techniques for settlement, such as judicial mediation, court-annexed arbitration, the use of special masters, summary jury trials, minitrials, and settlement conferences conducted by magistrate judges. The report is based on a conference of judges experienced in different types of settlement, interviews with court personnel, and literature in the field.

A description of the statutory sentencing alternatives in the federal courts. Addressed primarily to newly appointed district judges, the report relates sentencing alternatives to the policies of the agencies that carry out the sentences, particularly the Bureau of Prisons and the Parole Commission. This is a June 1985 Revision.

Superseded by Sentencing Federal Offenders for Crimes Committed Before November 1, 1987 (1991).

A description of case-management procedures various courts have used to facilitate prompt resolution in asbestos litigation. The report is based on a conference of federal judges, magistrate judges, and clerks. Among the methods described are use of standardized pretrial procedures to avoid duplication of effort, use of calendaring systems to establish firm and credible trial dates, and consolidation of cases for trial to conserve judicial time.

The results of a survey of 292 federal district judges concerning how they interpret and apply the 1983 amendments to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 (before the 1993 amendments). Based on the judges' hypothetical reactions to actual cases in which Rule 11 sanctions were requested, the study outlines the judges' standards and rationales for imposing sanctions, the kinds of sanctions imposed, and the relationship between the judges' opinions and their expectations of how their colleagues would rule on the same issues.