NCTDR is hosting a two day online conference in part to celebrate the new edition of the seminal volume of ODR scholarship ODR Theory and Practice. The agenda will feature many of the authors of chapters in the new book, as well as a deep dive on AI and Dispute Systems Design. We plan to have three hours of sessions in the morning and three hours in the afternoon (US East coast time) on both March 1 and 2 to get better coverage and accessibility for all our friends around the world.

To attend the Forum, the link is listed at the top of the agenda (see below). To register for the conference (it’s free) and add your name to the mailing list, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/zytse5wiLhyjJrP68

Check out the agenda and access information for the forum here.

Some highlights include:

• A Keynote on Artificial Intelligence (AI), bias, and ODR

• The first readout from a Pew-funded academic ODR research project (the University of Arizona’s Innovation for Justice program)

• A talk from the CEO of Niti Aayog, the policy think tank of the Government of India, who are leading the charge on India’s massive ODR project

Alongside many other presentations and presentations, both live and recorded, from the global leaders in ODR. We hope to see you there!

From the Utatuzi Center website:

“Utatuzi Center (UC) is a highly innovative web-based platform created on the acknowledgment that disputes are inherent and inevitable to human beings. They will arise in our lives and our workplaces at any time.

Accordingly, our goal as Utatuzi Center (UC) is to provide a digital platform that links companies, small and medium-sized firms, and clients from different fields with eminently qualified and highly experienced alternative dispute resolution professionals-Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators- who have been selected for their proven track record of resolving commercial disputes.

We aim at preemptively, proactively, and expeditiously resolving disputes with minimal or zero litigation. Our platform is API-enabled, meaning that the platform will be integrated into our clients’ compatible backend to allow automatic notifications, response, and tracking of disputes at the comfort of their desktops.

We acknowledge the fact that litigation through the court system in Kenya for businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises often takes long, it is expensive, quite cumbersome and procedural. It will most likely destroy any business relationship between the conflicting parties.

Our web-based platform offers well thought Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) strategies such as Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation through which businesses, firms, and different clients can resolve their commercial, human resource, and other issues and retain a cordial working relationship. Our services will ensure that your disputes are resolved professionally, expeditiously, and confidentially. Therefore, saving you time and resources and allowing you to maximize your business’ goals and profits.

Further, our platform has a modern state of art video conferencing platform which allows for virtual sessions and Online Disputes Resolution ( ODR) for e-commerce transactions and other disputes arising from the internet, thus giving transacting parties a viable recourse. Consequently, negating the need for physical meetings.”

Here’s their overview video from the HiiL Innovating Justice conference:

Learn more at https://www.utatuzicenter.com/

Big news out of New York — the NY State Courts have launched their first ODR system for small claims cases: https://lnkd.in/e_RZGDk. This system, based on underlying technology from Matterhorn, is the first time a technology-based dispute resolution process has been introduced into the NY state court system.

This launch is due in no small part to hard work from NCTDR Fellows David Larson and Amy Schmitz and Vikki Rogers who worked pro bono for years in NY (with many fits and starts) to build support for such a system.

The NY State system launched one week ago and represents a historic leap forward in expanding access to justice. Kudos to all the team members who made it happen — we can’t wait to see where this will lead!

(h/t to Susan Guthrie for the heads up)