The AAA-ICDR Institute
The AAA-ICDR® Institute is the thought leadership and research arm of the American Arbitration Association® (AAA®), dedicated to sharing our expertise to advance alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by fostering better understanding of those processes and putting bold ideas into practice. We address critical areas such as court- and government-connected ADR programs, access to justice, fairness in arbitration, and pathways to conflict resolution.


The Institute will improve ADR through data-driven analysis, incisive policy recommendations, and productive partnerships. We work to ensure that arbitration and other ADR methods continue to develop into even more effective tools that promote justice and peace, benefiting individuals, communities, the private sector, and institutions alike.
Focus Areas
Court- and Government-Connected ADR

Program Highlight: AAA–Suffolk Law ODR Innovation Clinic
This ongoing collaboration melds Suffolk Law’s practical, community-focused, and technology-driven approach to legal innovation with the AAA’s decades of experience developing creative, impactful dispute resolution and prevention programs. Together, we are launching a legal clinic in the Boston area that applies online dispute resolution (ODR) techniques to ease the burden on courts and litigants in family law disputes, an area ripe for expanding access to justice.
Access to Justice

Program Highlight: Supporting Entrepreneurship in ADR
The Institute engages with organizations dedicated to scalable technology solutions that will democratize access to justice for the billions of people worldwide who—due to cost, lack of legal expertise, and many other factors—are unable to fully exercise their legal rights. ADR is critical to addressing this justice gap. The Institute is well positioned to surface and support the best and most ambitious solutions.
Fairness in Arbitration

Program Highlight: A Fact-Driven Viewpoint on Consumer and Employment Arbitration
No facet of ADR has sparked more impassioned discourse in recent years than arbitration involving consumers or employees. On one hand, these disputes raise issues important to the businesses that drive our domestic and global economy. On the other, they are central to the lives of individuals who make those businesses run. The AAA has long championed due process protocols, mass arbitration procedures, fee waivers, and other approaches to help ensure fair process for resolving these disputes. The Institute considers all sides of these issues, as well as comprehensive data from AAA administration and court systems, to offer a clear view on what approaches are suited to achieving just outcomes.
Pathways to Conflict Resolution

Program Highlight: Conflict Resolution in Schools
Student bodies, at all education levels, face complex conflict in the same way that any community might. However, the need for a proactive, student-engaged approach is if anything magnified in a learning environment. The AAA, and the AAA-ICDR Foundation® in particular, provides support to a variety of local initiatives that promote restorative justice for students, peer mediation programs, education on effective conflict resolution, and policy changes favoring approaches that empower students.
"A think tank fosters and amplifies big, long-term ideas that persuade the world to act. The Institute will do that by publishing research, data, and insights while working with likeminded institutions to make our most ambitious ideas reality."

— Eric Tuchmann, AAA-ICDR Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
Resources
Pathways to Conflict Resolution
AI in ADR: Preserving the Human Touch
This article explores the integration of AI into ADR processes. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining trust, empathy and human-centered values while leveraging AI. Drawing parallels with historical technological advancements, the article advocates for a thoughtful balance where AI enhances but does not overshadow human intelligence and creativity. By incorporating transparency and ethical considerations, the piece highlights how AI can responsibly support dispute resolution while preserving the essential humanity of the process.
Conflict Resolution in Schools
The AAA, and the AAA-ICDR Foundation in particular, provides support to a variety of local initiatives that promote restorative justice for students, peer mediation programs, education on effective conflict resolution, and policy changes favoring approaches that empower students.
Advancing Social Justice Initiatives Through ADR
This webinar features AAA-ICDR Foundation projects and grantees focused on community-based dispute resolution, including alternatives to police intervention and mediation of small claims.
AAA-ICDR Foundation Grantee Dayton’s Mediation Response Unit
AAA-ICDR Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $400,000 to expand Dayton Ohio’s Mediation Response Unit. This recorded webinar provides an overview of the Unit and advice for other communities wanting to develop similar programs.