Originally from Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation

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In the more than 30 years since the Pound Conference, the ADR field has grown tremendously. It now needs a sophisticated approach to policymaking for the future.

The 1976 Pound Conference, held in St. Paul, Minn., often is considered a landmark—the birthplace of the modern alternative dispute resolution movement. It is where Harvard Law School Prof. Frank Sander proposed the creation of multi-door courthouses, with multiple 
dispute resolution options. Since then, ADR has become institutionalized in the courts, legal profession, government, business, and other organizations. 

Of course, ADR isn’t used universally, or even used as much as it should be. It has, however, gained broad acceptance. Dispute resolution providers offer a wide range of services that are used in virtually every type of dispute