The State of ADR & Technology during COVID-19

Abstract

The pandemic has contributed to noteworthy changes in how law is administered. How parties interact with the justice system, tools available for reaching a just resolution, and the structure of access points to dispute resolution, among many other variables, have all been altered due to the pandemic. Importantly, lawyers and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners are having an ongoing conversation about what the future of the field could and should be based on the field's experience with the pandemic. This publication seeks to inform that conversation, analyzing data from a survey administered in the first quarter of 2022 with 400 respondents in the ADR profession. In recognizing the many nuances within the profession, this publication analyzes experiences between different demographic groups, including age, household size, geographic region (i.e. rural-urban), and type of ADR work. As a consequence, this publication provides insight into equity and access to justice considerations that online dispute resolution may provide.

Keywords: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Access to Justice, Technology, Legal Profession