Originally from Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation

PAGE PREVIEW

Progress over the past few years in using court-sponsored alternative dispute resolution as a mechanism for resolving disputes that would otherwise continue in drawn-out and expensive litigations has been enormous.

Thousands of disputes have been resolved through ADR as a result of initiatives pursued in recent years since New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore first called for an increased focus on alternatives to conventional litigation to resolve disputes. This expansion seems particularly remarkable given the tightness of the judiciary budget, and given the pandemic-related constraints on court activities over the past 12 months that might otherwise have been expected to slam the brakes on innovations.

As Statewide ADR Programs Office coordinator Dan Weitz has indicated (see accompanying article on page 77), judicial buy-in to the vision expressed by Chief Judge DiFiore, and by New York State Courts Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks, has been extraordinarily open-minded and enthusiastic.