The Future of ADR

This round table will explore ongoing developments in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its future. It will concentrate on two tracks that we consider important regarding that future: inside the courts and outside them, using new technology and new social structures. Both phenomena are connected and indicate the direction ADR will take in the coming years. Within the courts, one main development is the introduction of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in the court system, creating both new court system structures even as new forms of court-connected dispute resolution take root – online. ODR is also expanding outside the courts. Another major development is the prevention of conflicts by using rating systems, big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will result in new hybrid systems that combine state regulation of pre-dispute mechanisms along with post dispute courts. This development is seen for instance in the automobile and traffic industry and online international commerce. We will discuss the implications of this for the ADR field and ADR practitioners, as well as for other related fields. Outside the courts, new social structures, some already formed and some relatively new, will also impact on the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Social activism is becoming a prominent force in ADR. Our examples are from Israel, where there is considerable interest and progress in the development of community mediation centers, focusing on mediating small claims court cases and conflicts between neighbors.