The NCTDR's 25th Annual International Forum on Online Dispute Resolution

The International Forum on Online Dispute Resolution was created by the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution of the University of Massachusetts (NCTDR) and was first held in Geneva in 2002 under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Subsequent Forums have been held in:-

Geneva, Melbourne, Cairo, Liverpool, Hong Kong, Victoria (Canada), Haifa (Israel), Liverpool, Prague, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Prague, Montreal, Paris, The Hague, Silicon Valley, New York City, Beijing, Auckland (New Zealand), Williamsburg (VA, USA), online, Dublin, Bengaluru, Montreal, Prague

Experts from around the globe will discuss the latest trends in managing and resolving conflicts online as well as the emerging technologies, including the developing impact of AI, being adopted by justice systems worldwide. This year, we are celebrating a milestone with our 25th annual Forum.

Keynote speeches will be given by

Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls / Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales and

Professor Richard Susskind, OBE, the world's most cited author on the future of legal services, for 25 years the IT Advisor to the Lord Chief Justice and recently appointed in a similar role for the Commonwealth. His latest book, "How To Think About AI" will be published shortly before the Forum.

Other presenters will come from court and justice systems worldwide, such as

District Judge Ang Feng Qian from Singapore, where the courts have long been recognised as leaders in applying technology and, increasingly, AI to the justice system,

a speaker from the Courts of Ukraine, introducing their Explorer system,

Susan Guthrie, leading mediator and current Chair of the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section and pioneer of using AI (through ChatGPT ) in her mediation practice.

Christina Blacklaws (former President of the Law Society of England and Wales and chair of LawTech UK),

Professor Ethan Katsh, Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, founder of,The National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution as well as this Forum, and widely recognised as the Father of ODR.

Paul Embley former CIO of the National Center for State Courts in the USA,

Caroline Sheppard (former Chief Arbitrator of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal on how to build and how not to build an ODR system) and

Diana Wallis, (mediator and former Vice-President of the European Parliament, with observations on why the EU's ODR project failed).

Whilst the ;programme is yet to be finalised, the subject matters of the various panels of speakers will cover the following:-

• ​Artificial Intelligence in justice and dispute resolution benefits and dangers,
• Good practice when using Artificial Intelligence
• Standards for online justice - consideration of the various codes being developed
• Online courts in operation around the world,
• Technology assisting/transforming ADR (arbitration, mediation, negotiation),
• Technology as an aid to increasing access to justice
• ODR as a subject of, and aid to, education in the law,
• ODR in borderless online consumer disputes,

There will also be demonstrations of various ODR/AI systems

To date 48 speakers and growing.

The Forum will tke place over 2 days in the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site of the former Royal Naval College , birthplace of Elizabeth the 1st and Henry the VIII, now housing the law school of the University of Greenwich. The buildings also overlook the Royal Greenwich Park and the Royal Observatory, famous for creating the Meridian Line aid to navigation at the join between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, and thus at the beginning of time

The Forum is hosted by Graham Ross and Ijeoma Ononogbu, both Fellows of The National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and members of the International Council for Online Dispute Resolution.

Graham is a lawyer and mediator and recognised expert in ODR. Graham who has for over 24 years developed systems of ODR, written and spoken on the topic and advised courts around the world on how technology can be employed to improve access to justice. Graham is an official Observer to the European Cyberjustice Network of the Council of Europe.

Ijeoma is a practising solicitor in International Dispute Resolution in London, Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Member of Dispute Board Federation, Geneva, Arbitral Women and London Court of International Arbitration. Ijeoma is also a panel member of institutions globally, which includes the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration, Malaysia. Ijeoma is also the UK Chartered Institute of Arbitrators delegate to the UNCITRAL Working Group III on ODR.

Host or Publisher NCTDR