The technology is widely available to transform the world of dispute resolution but what does this look like and how could this change justice systems around the globe? Listen to Colin Rule, co-founder of Modria – the world’s first big ODR platform.
Continuing this series of digital resources on Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), this interview from 2015 with Colin Rule, founder of Modria, one of the first big ODR platforms explains the functionality of this platform to show how online dispute resolution works in practice. He shows how early intervention and “triage” can help resolve huge numbers of disputes quickly, and dispels the myth that online dispute resolution platforms only work for low value consumer disputes. In 2017 Modria were acquired by Tyler Technologies to broaden its portfolio of courts and justice solutions.
Reflective Questions:
1. Colin Rule likens Modria to an online version of Frank Sanders “multi-door courthouse” (1976). In your view, how does the reality of how disputes are processed differ from both Sanders ideas and Modria’s functionality? What can traditional justice learn from ODR?
2. How can the type of processes Colin Rule describes address concerns over access to justice and the inadequacies of the current justice system? To get an insight into these inadequacies in the UK, read this recent article https://www.ibanet.org/Article/NewDetail.aspx?ArticleUid=0AE14E9C-A4D7-49D1-B482-0808A4B6AF6A
3. What challenges is a human mediator who is brought into an online process likely to face in their practice online? (Watch out for an interview with Liz Stokoe and others on the realities of mediating online coming soon.)
Activities
Modria’s system uses a type or “workbook” to diagnose and triage disputes. Think of a particular type of dispute (landlord-tenant, divorce, consumer) and design an intake form or questionnaire that will help you to diagnose such disputes and see if they are appropriate for an online platform. Identify what advice you would give the client at each stage. This can be done on your own or with peers.
Further Resources on ODR
This earlier interview with Colin Rule gives a much broader view of ODR, the Modria platform and the challenges and opportunities for disputes resolution in the digital age.
Colin Rule talks about the role of ODR in providing access to justice in this article https://www.okbar.org/barjournal/aug2019/obj9006rule/
This article looks in more detail at the fascinating interface between ODR and artificial intelligence http://www.newhandshake.org/SCU/ai.pdf
Resources for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Law Students
Mediator Academy’s mission is to provide access to the very best educational resources and thought leaders in dispute resolution to everyone on the planet. We’ve come a long way since our original long-form video interviews (over 1000 were produced) to where we are today with adaptive online lessons and modules. In light of the current challenges that law students and faculty face we are re-engineering some of the richest video interviews from our archives and sharing these resources with you to be used as teaching aids until normal service is resumed. We hope you find them useful.
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