2019 Equal Justice Conference

Americans can shop, socialize, and manage bills online 24 hours a day. However, disputing a lawsuit typically requires a trip to the courthouse during business hours. Those who live far from the courthouse, have limited mobility, and have inflexible work schedules are more likely to receive a negative judgment because they failed to appear in court. This can threaten homes, family stability, livelihood, and access to justice. To meet this challenge, state and county court systems across the country are experimenting with online dispute resolution (ODR) tools--which allow parties to attempt to resolve their dispute via the internet and provides outside personal intervention only where necessary. In 2018, Utah became the first state to build an ODR tool for small claims cases. This new technology will change the way Utah courts do business. The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Center for State Courts are helping states like Utah pilot and evaluate the impacts of ODR. Leaders from Utah, NCSC, and Pew will discuss the challenges courts face using online courts to modernize the legal system, including technology, skeptics, and maintaining the rule of law.