Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Division of ADR is located within the New York State Unified Court System's Office of Court Administration (OCA). The Division of ADR assists the trial courts to promote the appropriate use of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a means of resolving disputes and conflicts peacefully. 

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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.  

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Court Resource
We support court staff and court programs around training, policy, and serving as the court’s hub for ADR information.

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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.

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Part 146
  We review and approve ADR training and qualifications to promote quality mediation and neutral evaluation services.
 

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Public Resource
We facilitate public access to information about ADR and related matters, including the Mediator Directory.

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Training
We support training for judicial and non-judicial court staff and ADR neutrals who serve in our courts.

 

The Division of ADR works with judges, court administrators, bar leaders and other stakeholders - including the Statewide Advisory Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution - 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 to implement ADR in the Courts.

We work 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.

We periodically convene and coordinate programs for mediators, attorneys, judges, other court staff and members of the public.
 

 Contact

New York City
The Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution
25 Beaver Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10004
[email protected]
Fax: (212) 428-2696

Capital District
The Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution
2500 Pond View, Suite 104
Castleton-on-Hudson, NY 12033
[email protected]
Fax: (518) 238-2951
 

News Archive

April 5, 2024: Press release announcing Chief Judge’s appointment of judicial co-chairs to Statewide Advisory Committee on ADR, and Chief Administrative Judge’s new ADR Rules.

March 5, 2024: Press release announcing formation of new Division of ADR and appointment of Director.

February 13, 2024: Part 160 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge require state-funded courts of the UCS to refer civil disputes as early as practicable to an appropriate ADR process, unless certain circumstances preclude the referral; require screening for intimate partner violence; provide for confidentiality of court-referred ADR with limited exceptions; guide mediators on court rosters through Standards of Conduct for Mediators, and call for the creation of local rules.

December 2023: Part 60. Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Trial Courts. Rule of the Chief Judge authorizing and encouraging referrals of disputes to ADR.

December 2022: The Statewide ADR Office launched an online application for trainers to become approved under Part 146 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge. The new online application streamlines the process of approving trainings under Part 146.

October 2022: Pursuant to Par. 2 of Administrative Order 124/22, the Statewide ADR Office, in consultation with Office of Justice Initiatives and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, published  Anti-Bias Training Guidelines to promote clear standards for quality trainings. 

May 2022: In furtherance of The Court's goal of addressing bias in the court system, Judge Marks signed Administrative Order 124/22, effective January 1, 2023, requiring all ADR neutrals who serve the court system (mediators and neutral evaluators serving on court rosters under Part 146, arbitrators and special masters who serve in court-sponsored programs, and neutrals who provide services as a part of the Community Dispute Resolution Center Program) to complete at least two (2) hours of anti-bias training every two years.

May 2022: Under Administrative Order 119a/22, effective January 1, 2023, all Family Court and Matrimonial Part mediators will be required to take 4 hours of training on Screening for Intimate partner Violence (IPV) and 2 hours of continuing education on IPV every 2 years. This Order extends and codifies current statewide practice, which seeks to ensure the safety of litigants who may be victims of IPV. 

February 2021: Effective Feb. 1, 2021, “Counsel for all parties shall consult prior to a preliminary or compliance conference about...(iii) the use of alternate dispute resolution to resolve all or some issues in the litigation.” Section 202.11 of the Uniform Civil Rules For The Supreme Court & The County Court

January 2021Press release announces NYC Civil Court in Manhattan to Launch Online Dispute Resolution Pilot Program for Small Claims Cases.

November 2020: New guidelines developed for Mediation Apprenticeships for prospective mediators, guidance on Continuing Education for mediators and neutral evaluators on trial court rosters.

September 2020: The court announces three online tools developed by the Office of ADR: the Statewide Mediator Directory, which supports litigants in locating a court-approved mediator, the Statewide Mediator Application, which streamlines the process by which mediators may be considered for a trial court roster, and the Post-Mediation Survey, which allows mediation participants to easily provide feedback in an online form.

May 2020:  Under Administrative Order 87/20, effective May 4, 2020, “Judges may refer matters for virtual alternative dispute resolution, including to neutrals on court-established panels, community dispute resolution centers, and ADR-dedicated court staff”

April 2018Advisory Committee on ADR is formed to examine current services and make recommendations for the improvement of ADR.