Mediator's Privilege: Can a Mediator Be Compelled to Testify in a Civil Case - California Privilege Law Says Yes - Olam v. Congress Mortgage Co., The

In the present case, Olain v. Congress, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has, in a precedent-setting opinion, forced a mediator to testify in a subsequent civil procedure. 9 This Note will examine two recurring issues regarding mediation: first, the appropriate law to be applied when a case sits in federal court; and second, the history of the mediation privilege, the present state of the mediation privilege within the federal and state courts, and the consequences of the instant case.