Executive Summary and full evaluation report of the first phase of the Illinois Supreme Court's court-annexed mandatory arbitration program in Cook County that targeted cases in the Law ("L") Division with verdict potential of less than $15,000 from April 1, 1990, to March 31, 1991. The overall study did not conclusively answer the questions of whether the arbitration program reduced the inventory of cases pending in the Law Division or increased the speed with which the cases were resolved through arbitration. The majority of attorneys' perceptions were that the arbitration program was less expensive than trial and provided a fair and beneficial process. The report includes recommendations for improving the arbitration program.