"Alarmed by the dramatic rise in housing foreclosures across the nation, judges have taken a variety of actions to slow the pace, ranging from outright dismissals for incomplete work to mandated mediation to threatening attorneys with sanctions ..."

"... In January, Ohio Chief Justice Thomas Moyer sent a letter to all 40,000 attorneys in the state asking them to serve as pro bono lawyers or mediators for financially strapped homeowners facing foreclosure. More than 1,300 lawyers agreed and are receiving training from the Ohio State Bar Association... "

"... A similar initiative recently began in central Florida, ..."