Please review the DSO Information and Procedures below and provide the requested information to volunteer for the LACBA Daily Settlement Officer Program.

DSO Information and Procedures:

CRITERIA FOR DSO ATTORNEY PARTICIPATION:

• Active California State Bar status in good standing
• Active LACBA Family Law Section membership; and
• CFLS status or primary practice of family law during the past 5 years
   
• AVAILABILITY FOR SERVICE:
  • DSO-IP: In Person Participation - DSOs check in for service in Department 2 at 8:30 a.m. and serve until close of business or when Department 2 has confirmed that no cases will be referred. DSOs may check in with Department 2 at 10:30 a.m. if no cases have been referred by that time.

**IMPORTANT REMINDER**
DSOs are provided electronic access to the DSO Portal to access court files for cases referred to the DSO during the day of service for use by only the DSO during the DSO session only. DSO must agree that information obtained through the DSO Portal may be confidential and MUST NOT be assigned, transferred, disseminated, misused or disclosed in any unauthorized manner. Further, DSO must agree to disclose and disqualify him/herself should there by any conflict of interest or personal knowledge of any case assigned to the DSO for settlement purposes.

DSO CALENDAR:

Your DSO assignment will be listed on the DSO Calendar and access will be provided upon approval of your application to serve as DSO. 

It is each DSOs obligation to appear for service when scheduled. Although we will make every effort to avoid scheduling for a date you may indicate is not convenient, scheduling changes occur and it is possible you may be inadvertently scheduled for a day that you cannot serve or your availability changes.

In the event that for any reason you are not available on a scheduled date, each DSO IS RESPONSIBLE TO FIND A QUALIFIED REPLACEMENT DSO (one listed on the active DSO calendar) to cover the assignment. Each DSO Calendar entry contains the name and email address for the assigned DSO. Please be sure to advise the DSO Team of any changes to the assignment or scheduling swaps by email so that we can keep the calendar up to date in real time.

Because the success of the program rests on reliable DSO attendance, a DSO's failure to appear for an assignment without providing a qualified replacement DSO without good cause may be grounds for ineligibility for future DSO service.

It is the DSO's responsibility to keep the DSO Team informed of any change in contact information or program qualification. Contact information changes should be sent to Stephen Cawelti or Dena Kleeman or Jami Fosgate.

FORMS AND WAIVERS:

1. DSO Case Referral Sheet - Provided to the DSO by Department 2 upon check in or accessed via the DSO computer. Please complete this form with details about the cases you handle and return to Department 2 at the end of your assignment.
    
2. Acknowledgment of Confidentiality For Settlement Conference - Also provided to the DSO by Department 2 upon check in. Please have all parties and counsel sign this form prior to commencing each settlement conference. This form is not maintained by the DSO Program or LASC but, rather, we recommend the DSO personally retain these forms for a minimum of one year.

PROCEDURE:

Parking is located in the Wells Fargo parking structure at 235 S. Hill Street on the corner of 2nd and South Hill with entrance on South Hill. You will be able to receive a validation from the court to pay your parking fee.

Please check in upon arrival and check out at the end of the day with LaVette in Department 2. Please direct any questions on the day of service to LaVette as well (e.g, computer login, printer problems or paper, copies of stipulation forms, etc.).

INFORMATION TO COMMUNICATE TO LITIGANTS:

It is recommended that DSO’s communicate the following information to all participants whether or not parties are represented by counsel:

• The DSO is a volunteer attorney/accountant from the Los Angeles County Bar, Family Law Section, donating his or her time to help the litigants and the Court for that session.
   
• All communications during the settlement conference are confidential and cannot be used as evidence in any proceedings for any purposes.
   
• The DSO is acting in the capacity of a neutral settlement officer to help facilitate settlement and is not acting as an attorney by advising or representing either party. The DSO does not and cannot give legal advice but rather may offer only legal information.
   
• The DSO does not guarantee and cannot predict with certainty what a judge would do in any case.
   
• The DSO does not have any authority to make decisions about any matter nor to predict the outcome of a case. The DSO cannot require or force parties to settle or take any action. There is no requirement that the parties settle all or any part of their matter.
   
• The DSO program is not a referral service and, as such, the DSO may not handle any case that was presented during the DSO’s service after conclusion of the DSO session at any other time whether in or outside the courthouse even if uncompensated or on a volunteer basis.
   

We very much appreciate your DSO service and support for this invaluable volunteer program. Please keep in mind this program is also run by volunteers and although the DSO Team will do our best to accommodate DSO needs, we appreciate your patience and cooperation.

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