The Effects of Alternative Dispute Resolution on Access to Justice in Utah

Thousands of cases are resolved every year in Utah by private and court sponsored mediation and other ADR programs, and ADR utilization trends are moving up every year. Since 1990, over 3600 lawyers and non-lawyers have received mediator training in Utah. Clearly, ADR has a growing positive impact on access to justice in this state. However, it is just as clear that ADR by itself does not satisfy the huge and growing unmet needs of moderate-income, low-income, and poor people for dispute resolution services in this state.