The American Arbitration Association sees the future of online dispute resolution with the takeover

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The pandemic has taught us that we can resolve many more legal disputes online. Sure, it might end in some embarrassment or an unexpected jail sentence, but for most of us, going online just makes everything more efficient.

The American Arbitration Association sees the same opportunity and announced yesterday that it is purchasing ODR.com and its parent company, Resourceful Internet Solutions, to bring more online dispute resolution products to its toolkit.

The immediate goal of the alliance will be to expand AAA’s mediation services by developing a suite of online dispute resolution (ODR) products. “Demand for ODR is growing rapidly around the world, and partnering with AAA will keep us at the forefront,” said RIS CEO Colin Rule. “Our shared goal is to make ADR an accessible choice for everyone, and this alliance will enable us to achieve that goal at an unprecedented level.”

ODR will remain a for-profit entity, but the team that previously built dispute resolution mechanisms for eBay and PayPal will now bring its expertise to expand AAA’s online offerings.

In an interview with Bob Ambrogi at LawSites, RIS CEO Colin Rule described another force multiplier:

For Rule, the aspect of the acquisition that particularly excites him is the opportunity to combine artificial intelligence technology with the deep sources of data that AAA has accumulated over its 100 years of existence.

“I think this will allow us to gradually increase access to justice,” he said. “It won’t be a gradual 1 or 2% a year…. I think over time building these tools in line with the best practices and ethical guidelines that we have in this field will be incredibly positive.”

There is much justified skepticism about the role that artificial intelligence will play in greater access to justice. While this technology holds great potential, it risks becoming just another tool for those forced to crush the have-nots. However, opening arbitration to more people represents one of the most concrete opportunities for access to justice. Arbitration is a cheaper alternative, and an AI-powered online arbitration solution can provide faster and easier outcomes for many potential disputing parties.

It’s a adapt-or-perish world, and as it approaches its 100th birthday, AAA is looking to the future.

Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Please feel free to email us any tips, questions or comments. Follow him Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as Managing Director of RPN Executive Search.