Statewide Alternative Dispute Resolution Office

The Statewide Alternative Dispute Resolution Office is a unit within the Division of Professional and Court Services in the New York State Unified Court System's Office of Court Administration (OCA). The Statewide ADR Office supports the court to promote the appropriate use of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a means of resolving disputes and conflicts peacefully. The main functions of the Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution happen in these six areas:

	Community Dispute Resolution Centers	We partner with the 20 Community Dispute Resolution Centers throughout the state that provide mediation, arbitration and other dispute resolution options at no or low cost.
	Court Resource	We support court staff and court programs around training, policy, and serving as the court’s hub for ADR information.
	Fee Dispute Resolution Program	We oversee the Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Program (FDRP), a statewide program that helps to resolve disputes over legal fees.
	Part 146	We review and approve ADR training and qualifications to promote quality mediation and neutral evaluation services.
	Public Resource	We facilitate public access to information about ADR and related matters, including the Mediator Directory.
	Training	We support training for judicial and non-judicial court staff and ADR neutrals who serve in our courts.

The Statewide ADR Office works with judges, court administrators, bar leaders and other stakeholders throughout New York State to develop appropriate dispute resolution programs and policies that respond to the needs of local communities and courts. We partner with the Regional ADR Coordinators who work with the Deputy Chief Administrative Judges in charge of implementing Chief Judge DiFiore's Presumptive ADR Initiative.

The Statewide ADR Office works closely with non-profit organizations in administering the state-wide Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program, which provides a community-based forum to resolve disputes that might otherwise become civil, family and criminal court cases.

The Statewide ADR Office periodically convenes and coordinates programs for mediators, attorneys, judges, other court staff and members of the public.
 

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