Rory Olsen is a former Texas judge and
now serves as an arbitrator and mediator.
“One of the sad truths of being a litigant is that after suit has been filed, the motions have been heard, and the depositions been taken, the lawyers will know what their case is worth and what the other side’s case is worth. If the lawyer’s could persuade their clients to see the case in the same way, settlement before the drama and pain of the trial would often result. In my two decades on the bench, I learned that in most cases, a hint from the judge would most times get the parties to sit down and discuss settlement. Now that I have left the bench, I make myself available to perform mediations and arbitrations to help parties resolve their cases before trial.”
– Rory Olsen
“My congratulations on Judge Olsen’s opening of his mediation practice. As a former statutory probate court judge, he has presided over disputes both large and small, always striving to achieve a balance among the parties and a result within the bounds of the law. I have known Judge Olsen for more than forty years and unhesitatingly recommend him for his deliberate, knowledgeable and experienced mediation procedures.”
–C. Michael Black
The year 2020 brought Texas a new program to help out of network facilities and out of network health care providers resolve disputes with medical insurance companies rather than going to court. Disputes between the out of network facilities and the insurance companies will be referred to mediation. Disputes between out of network health care providers and the insurance companies will be sent to binding arbitration. Judge Rory Olsen has been appointed by the Texas Department of Insurance to serve on both the arbitrator and the mediator panels.
Judge Rory R. Olsen’s CV
20 years as a statutory probate judge.
Practice limited to being a visiting statutory probate judge; a mediator and an arbitrator.
Telephone: 713-553-0783
Email: author@pobox.com (Please mark the subject as either visiting judge, mediator or arbitrator.)
DEGREES
B.A., Loyola University, 1971.
J.D., Duke University, 1974.
M.B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1976.
LL.M., Southern Methodist University, 1980.
Master of Judicial Studies, University of Nevada (Reno), 2010.
BOOKS, PAPERS, ARTICLES, TELEVISION and FILM APPEARANCES
“Practical and tax consideration in deciding who should be a trustee”
July, 1981, Estate Planning
Co-authored with David C. Sharman, Esq.
Reprinted in Advanced Estate Planningby the American College
“Community Property at a Glance”
Readings on Estate Planning, 1983 by the American College
December, 1983
Texas Society of C.P.A.s C.P.E. Expo
“VEBAs, 401(k)s and SEPs: Gimmicks or Valuable Techniques”
Speech and Publication
“Future Interests”
The Handbook of Estate Planningby Dow, Jones Irwin,
Ed. D. Larry Crumbley, Ph.D., 1988
July, 1990
Texas Association of Life Underwriters Annual Convention
“Errors and Omission Insurance”
Speech and Publication
May, 1993
Dallas Chapter CLU and ChFC
“The Insurance Agent’s Role in the Estate Planning Team”
Speech
July, 1993
Amarillo Association of Life Underwriters
“Creditor Protections of Life Insurance Products”
Speech
January, 1994
Wichita Falls Estate Planning Council
“Applicability of White Collar Criminal Statutes to Estate Planning Practice”
Speech and Publication
January, 1995
Valley Association of Life Underwriters
“Ethics in the Life Insurance Business”
Speech
January, 1999
Mexican American Bar Association
“Ad Litems in Mental Health Commitments and Heirships”
Speech and Publication
February, 1999
Pasadena Bar Association
“Court No. Three Procedures”
Speech
October, 1999
Disability and Elder Law Attorneys Association
“Role of the Ad Litem in Proceedings under S.B. 30 in the Probate Courts”
Speech and Publication
September, 2000
Probate Court No. Three Mental Health Law Seminar
“Vienna Consular Notification Convention”
Speech and Publication
October, 2000
Houston Bar Association Seminar: Guardianship and Elder Law Issues for the Practitioner and Ad Litem
“The Ethical Dilemma of the Guardianship Attorney Ad Litem: Doing Your Best, Even If You Could Get By With Doing Much Less”
Speech and Publication
January 2001
Mediator Training Course
National Judicial College
June, 2001
State Bar of Texas: Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Seminar
Moderator
October, 2001
Probate Court #3
Chemical Dependency Law Seminar
“Ethical Trouble Spots in being a Mental Health ad Litem”
Speech and Publication
October, 2001
Course Faculty
National Judicial College
“Court Administrators for Judges and Court Administrators”
November, 2001
Disability and Elder Law Attorneys
“Judicial Privilege and Related Topics”
Speech and Publication
January, 2002
Ben Taub Hospital
“Legal System—Court, Commitments, Documentation”
Speech
February, 2002
Houston Bar Association
2002 Wills & Probate Institute
Panel Discussion
April, 2002
Houston Bar Association
HBA Criminal Bench Bar Conference 2002
“Mental Health Issues”
Speech with Pamela Thacker, Esq.
Speech
May, 2002
Houston Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
Monthly Meeting
“Public Service”
Speech
September, 2002
South Texas College of Law
Wills and Probate Institute
Moderator
March, 2003
Garland Walker Chapter
American Inns of Court
“Crouching Lawyer, Hidden Disorder”
Moderated Panel Discussion
May, 2003
South Texas College of Law
Elder Law Conference
Moderator
June, 2003
National Judicial College
Reno, Nevada
“Managing Cases Involving Persons with Mental Disabilities”
Co-designed and co-taught this two day course
October, 2003
Probate Court #3
Mental Health Law Seminar
“A Lack of Commitment: Selected Constitutional Cases Dealing with Mental Health Law”
Speech and Publication
March, 2004
Course Faculty
National Judicial College
“Practical Approaches to Substance Abuse Issues”
Course Faculty
April, 2004
Houston Bar Association, Probate Section
“Changes in Probate Court Procedures”
Panel Discussion
September, 2004
South Texas College of Law
Estate Planning and Probate Conference
Moderator
October, 2004
National Judicial College
Reno, Nevada
“Managing Cases Involving Persons with Mental Disabilities”
Co-designed and co-taught this two day course
April, 2005
Texas Guardianship Association
Spring Conference
“View from the Bench”
Panel Discussion
September, 2005
South Texas College of Law
Estate Planning and Probate Conference
Moderator
January, 2006
Houston Bar Association, Probate Section
“Ad Litems and DNRs: or Who woke the sleeping firefighter?”
Speech and Publication
September, 2006
Good Will Win in the End
A novel of judicial life, love and politics published by Booklocker.com, Inc.
October, 2006
Sisters in Crime (Mystery Writers)
“Probate in Fact and Fiction”
Speech
September, 2007
South Texas College of Law
Wills and Probate Institute
Moderator and Panelist
November, 2007
Probate Court #3
Mental Health Law Seminar
“Social Science and the Law”
Speech and Publication
February, 2010
Texas Tech University School of Law
Estate Planning & Community Property Law Journal Seminar
“End of Life Decisions in the Era of Rationed Care”
Speech and Publication
March, 2010
North Harris County Bar Association
Monthly CLE Program
“All You Ever Wanted to Know About Probate Court #3”
Speech and Publication
July, 2010
Appeared in “The M Unit,” a documentary filmed by Sony Pictures
July, 2010
“Who Woke the Sleeping Firefighter?”
2 Estate Planning and Community Property LJ 275
September, 2010
Moderator
South Texas College of Law Guardianship and Ad Litem Certification Course
September 2012
Interviewed for a Public Affairs Program on Probate Courts with Cecilia Longoria of the Harris County Attorney’s Office
VAN TV, Channel 55.2.
February, 2013
Panelist in a “View From the Bench” part of “Mentor Madness”
Garland Walker Inns of Court.
February, 2013
“Emergency Mental Health Care: How to Navigate in Harris County”
50 The Houston Lawyer 26
June, 2013
“Funding, compassion can help treat mental illness” June 23, 2013 Article in the Outlook portion of The Houston Chronicle
March, 2014
Probate Court #3
Mental Health Law Seminar
“Advanced Out-Patient Treatment”
Speech
May, 2014
“Mental Health Violence: The Problem is Money
Opinion Piece on Brietbart.com/Texas, May 7, 2014
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/05/07/Mental-Health-Violence-The-Problem-is-Money
May, 2014
Disability and Elder Law Attorneys
“Differences Between Incapacity and Mental Illness”
Speech and Publication
June, 2015
State Bar of Texas
Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Seminar
“What a Practitioner Should Do If He Suspects Another Lawyer in a Case Is Impaired” Panel Discussion
Paper: “A Lawyer’s Quick Guide to the DSM-5”
June, 2017
State Bar of Texas
Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Seminar
“Mediation In Trusts and Estates” Panel Discussion
Paper (2): Questionnaire containing original research on how mediations are conducted in Texas; Annotated Bibliography of mediation scholarship.
Judge Olsen received his mediator training at the National Judicial College.
Judge Olsen has attended numerous seminars dealing with arbitration. He is listed by the American Arbitration Association on their panels as a commercial arbitrator and as a consumer law arbitrator.