The National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution (NCTDR) and the International Council for Online Dispute Resolution (ICODR) announce the issuance of a new jointly produced document. The Guidance is an extension of the NCTDR-ICODR Online Dispute Resolution Standards issued in May 2022, and adopted by the International Organization for Standards (ISO) in March 2025. 

The general guidance covers all of the ODR Standards of practice for third parties involved in dispute or conflict engagement.  The deployment of artificial intelligence to dispute management whether face-to-face or online offers valuable benefits to increase effectiveness and access to justice while also raising risks for disputants, third parties and dispute resolution entities.  Accordingly, NCTDR and ICODR have developed guidance for what will inevitably be the use of AI in all forms of dispute engagement. 

The Guidance can be accessed at:  Guidance for Third Parties Using AI

From the announcement:

“NEW YORK and BOSTON, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The American Arbitration Association (AAA®) and Suffolk University Law School will host Arbitration and Mediation in the Age of AI, a one-day conference on Friday, June 12, in Boston. The program will bring together litigators, in-house counsel, arbitrators, mediators, legal technologists, and other professionals to examine how AI is reshaping dispute resolution and what that means for legal practice, policy, and access to justice.

This conference builds on ongoing conversations in the field by focusing on AI real-world applications, current deployments, and practical implications. Attendees will gain practical insight into how AI tools are being developed, deployed, and evaluated across dispute resolution settings through a day of practical and interactive programming, including expert-led panel discussions, interactive debates, live demonstrations, and real-world case studies.

“AI is no longer theoretical in dispute resolution,” said Bridget McCormack, AAA president and CEO. “These tools are already shaping how disputes are resolved and how people access the legal system. At the same time, we’re working through critical questions around reliability, ethics, and oversight, while recognizing the opportunity to expand access to justice in ways not previously possible.”

A key focus of the conference is how AI is already being applied in dispute resolution. Discussions and demonstrations will draw on examples including:

• The AAA’s AI Arbitrator, which evaluates the merits of a dispute, applies legal reasoning, and produces a draft award for a human arbitrator to review and finalize.
• The AAA’s Resolution Simulator, which provides a non-binding, simulated decision to help legal teams evaluate their positions before formal proceedings begin.
• The AAA-Suffolk ODR Innovation Clinic, where Suffolk Law clinical students are building a customized version of AAA’s ODR.com platform to help couples navigate procedural requirements for uncontested divorces. The project addresses a persistent access to justice challenge observed by Clinic Director Hon. John Casey (Ret.), who, during his time on the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, saw individuals repeatedly turned away at the registry due to incomplete filings.

On Saturday, June 13, following the conference, attendees are invited to participate in a hackathon, hosted by ODR.com, AAA-ICDR Institute™, and Suffolk University Law School, that brings together law students, technologists, and practitioners to collaborate on solutions at the intersection of AI and dispute resolution. This hands-on session moves from discussion to development, giving participants the opportunity to translate ideas from the conference into practical tools and applications. Attendees of the ODR2026 Forum at Harvard University are encouraged to join the hackathon. For more information and to secure your spot, visit https://www.vibeodr.com/.

To register for Arbitration and Mediation in the Age of AI, visit: https://feature.adr.org/2026-AAA-Suffolk-AI-Conference.”

We hope you’ll be able to join us for the 2026 ODR Forum, happening June 11, 2026 at the Rubenstein Treehouse conference center at Harvard University!

This year’s ODR Forum will be paired with another gathering, the AI and Resolutions conference, happening the next day, June 12, 2026 at Suffolk Law School (just down the Red Line from Harvard). This Forum, our 26th, is particularly special because it will include a celebration of the Father of ODR, Professor Ethan Katsh.

Please check out the conference website for all the details. We’ll have several days of social events and fun activities surrounding the Forum, including a hackathon, a Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park and tours of MIT and the Massachusetts State House in downtown Boston.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Colin at crule@odr.com. We’re going to have a great time, but it won’t be as much fun without you there!

Access to Justice and AI

ODR Track is annual online conference and discussion forum prepared in cooperation of Masaryk University and PRK Partners. It is co-organized as part of Cyberspace conference (Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia) and ODR Cyberweek (National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution). See the ODR Track program here and full Cyberspace conference program here.

Join us for the 27th annual virtual & free online conference: Five days of engaging panels & tech demos can be accessed via the Program

●  AI panels include topics on: AI & mediation & arbitration, RAGs for ODR, Governing AI, AI & liability, AI safety & ODR, blockchain & arbitration, & more!
●  Tech demos include: tools for negotiation, eviction mediation, landlord/tenant cases
●  Education & ODR panels include: ODRLab.com in Action, Using AI to teach ADR, AI mediation research
● ODR Systems panels include: digital dispute system design, digital ombuds services, ODR open data formats

Yesterday the International Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Development Bank released a new report quantifying the economic impact of unresolved low-value commercial disputes. The report specifically mentions ODR as a possible solution.

From the Executive Summary:

“Commercial disputes which fail to reach a resolution impose substantial and far-reaching costs on businesses and economies. The direct losses to businesses, incurred through attempts at resolution and write-offs, represent only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath this lies a much larger set of significant economic consequences, constraining business growth, deterring investment and innovation, and weakening market performance. These consequences are felt most keenly in developing countries, where dispute values are frequently lower than the cost of pursuing resolution, and a lack of affordable resolution options represents a barrier to accessing justice.
This report, commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), is the first to set out a comprehensive framework linking a lack of resolution for low-value commercial disputes to wider economic outcomes. In this setting, we define a low-value commercial dispute as a dispute with low monetary value where the expected costs of resolution exceed the expected value of the claim.5 This is particularly relevant to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) given that they typically transact on a smaller scale, meaning dispute costs are more likely to represent a greater proportion of the claim itself. Drawing together economic theory, empirical evidence, and case studies, it demonstrates how disputes—particularly those that remain unresolved—create a chain of economic effects that extend well beyond the parties involved.”

Learn more, and download the full report, here: https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/report/the-economic-impact-of-unresolved-low-value-commercial-disputes/

As we face AI’s profound & rapidly expanding impact, ethical & practical questions arise for how to effectively harness AI while preventing its worst externalities. Governing Artificial Intelligence argues the value of a governance eco-system: legislation, regulation & professional & international standards. A case study of international standards for AI in online dispute resolution is provided along with strategies for coordinating governance mechanisms & suggestions for AI developers/providers/users.

Join us for this webinar hosted by the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution

The State of Maryland (USA) Judiciary issued a report on Remote Mediation and Disability which can be found here.

ODR LAB is a global platform created to empower ideators and mentors and for all ODR enthusiasts to collaboratively design innovative Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems. Built with a strong belief that local challenges often find powerful solutions through global perspectives, ODR Lab aims to foster meaningful collaboration among students, professionals, and visionaries worldwide.

ODR Lab is an international hub developed under the auspices of ODR experts, entrepreneurs, and academics NCTDR Fellows Chittu Nagarajan and Dr. Suman Kalani. It provides a platform for creative interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging mentorship by academics and practitioners and engagement with students, fostering not only new innovations but the next generation of ODR experts.

Susskind, Commonwealth Special Envoy for Justice and AI and the world’s most cited author on the future of legal services is interviewed in this podcast following the publication of his newest book, How to Think About AI (2025).