From Ease's lawyer friend(not who everyone thinks that is - he never said who it was)

Settle within 30 days of mediation or....

the second possibility is that settlement would occur prior to the Christmas holidays --- in situations where both sides know in their “heart of hearts” that a case should be settled, neither the lawyers nor the clients will want to spend the holiday season preparing for trial, and for this reason, the January 8 trial setting is a powerful motivator.

Thanks again Ease.