This document discusses the judicial system in North Carolina, describing the various courts, programs and actors involved. Also discussed are alternative forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, collaborative law, arbitration, summary jury trials and minitrials. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) was first introduced through a mediated settlement conference pilot program authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1991. The Dispute Resolution Commission was established in 1995 in order "to administer mediator certification and regulate mediator conduct" (p.16).