Family Court Chief Judge Michael B. Forte promoted Lori Jean Giarrusso Esq. to Director of Family Court Mediation Services, where she previously worked as a staff mediator. She will earn $123,903 with longevity, according to courts spokesman Craig N. Berke.

Forte also has expanded the number of Family Court Mediation Services lawyers to four with the hiring of , former state Traffic Tribunal Chief Magistrate William R. Guglietta as a mediator, Berke said.

Forte is also launching a pilot screening program to assess whether pro se cases could be resolved short of trial through mediation, Berke said.

The hope is that the increased emphasis on mediation will prove less costly and time-consuming for litigants and the court.