About the Case Mediation Section

Case Mediation Section, About Us

William A. Zapp, is the Mediation Counsel for the Supreme Court of Ohio's Case Mediation Section. Mr. Zapp is a 1969 graduate of the Ohio State University and a 1972 graduate of Capital University Law School. After graduation, Mr. Zapp served as a hearing officer for the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, practiced in a private firm specializing in state and local tax matters, and drafted opinions and bench memoranda as a Master Commissioner for the Supreme Court of Ohio. Mr. Zapp became a part-time mediator when the Court developed a pilot mediation program in 1997. By 2002, the program became a discrete section of the Supreme Court and Mr. Zapp became the Court's Mediation Counsel and Section Manager. In addition, Mr. Zapp has completed hundreds of hours of mediation training, including courses at Capital University Law School and CDR Associates in Boulder, Colorado.

Karen R. Fields, is the Case Mediation Section's Administrative Secretary. Ms. Fields attended Arizona State University, majoring in general business and finance. After college, Ms. Fields worked for several years as a technical writer in the finance industry where she earned tenure as a technical writer and editor. Ms. Fields joined the Court in 2002 as a program assistant for the Dispute Resolution Section of the Judicial and Court Services Division. In 2004, she was selected for her current position supporting the Court's Case Mediation Section. In addition, Ms. Fields has completed a variety of dispute resolution courses, including courses specifically for employees of Ohio's court-affiliated mediation programs.