Primary Department: Justices of the Peace
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Judge Steve Duble, JP 1-2
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Award
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Houston Bar Foundation
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): 5%
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Rate is not 0% and is listed above.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by Justice of the Peace 1-2 for approval to accept from the Houston Bar Foundation grant funds in the amount of $5,000, with no required match, for the FY26 Small Claims Fast-Track Mediation Initiative.
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Background and Discussion:
This grant is to pay for a video materials to promote and support a pilot project to develop a robust pre-litigation program that encourages small claims litigants to pursue mediation prior to filing their case in justice court, thereby freeing up the court docket and resolving disputes through negotiated settlements. Part of the incentives for litigants would also include free dispute resolution (as they would not need to pay court fees) and we would develop a system that would fast track these cases if the mediation proved unsuccessful.
The project will: 1. Develop a process for referring cases from JP 1-2 to the Dispute Resolution Center for mediation and for fast tracking cases where mediation fails; 2. Train clerks and other court staff on how to appropriately and effectively promote mediation as an alternative to plaintiffs when they come to file their case; 3. Create a publicity campaign to promote this process to potential litigants, including the creation of an animated video. This video would be animated and be generic enough for use by other justice courts within Harris County that could adopt the program; 4. Develop data tracking and surveys to assess the success of the program.
Expected Impact:
Benefits of this program will extend to all small claims litigants in JP 1-2 by providing parties with the potential for resolution of the case within 60 days of filing (or initiating the process pre-filing). The program will alleviate the case load on one of the court’s busiest dockets.
The program will result in swifter access to a resolution of a case and increase in the court’s clearance rate. If this program proves successful, it can be easily replicated in other courts throughout Harris County. It would increase understanding of mediation’s positive role in our legal system and foster administration of justice by reducing dockets and encouraging settlements.
Alternative Options:
If the award is not accepted, we would proceed with the mediation initiative without the explainer and promotional videos.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 1. Make Harris County safer and more just.
County Strategic Plan Objective: E: Increase efficiency across the legal system.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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FY26 Small Claims Fast-Track Mediation Initiative |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
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$5,000 |
$5,000,00 |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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Anticipated Court Date: 1/8/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Derek Kelly, Community Engagement Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 2
Attachments (if applicable): Court Order, Grant Agreement, Grant Budget Template