RSI staff conducts research on topics of interest to individuals working in court ADR. Making the results of that research readily available to busy court ADR stakeholders helps these individuals make informed decisions about their ADR programs and avoid “reinventing the wheel.”
HIGHLIGHTED RESEARCH
Accessing Justice Through Mediation: Pathways for Poor and Low-Income Disputants*
Susan M. Yates. Resolution Systems Institute, 2007
What if ADR could change the way that disputants access justice, especially disputants who can’t afford lawyers? RSI tackled this question in our study Accessing Justice through Mediation: Pathways for Poor and Low-Income Disputants. We surveyed stakeholders and researched the legal and ADR landscape in Illinois to determine the supports and barriers to using ADR to increase access to justice. We described an array of potential program models. Then we designed a blueprint for a system whereby poor and low-income disputants could best achieve a resolution to their legal problems. While the information on ADR programs in Illinois is now old and likely not useful elsewhere, the Service Delivery Models and Blueprint sections can provide insights for any jurisdiction.
Foreclosure Dispute Resolution Program Models State-by-State
Heather Scheiwe Kulp. Resolution Systems Institute, 2012
This report provides a detailed review of judicial and non-judicial foreclosure mediation programs that have been developed across the country. It includes information about the mediation process, the history and the funding for each program. The report was last updated in September 2012.
Foreclosure Dispute Resolution by the Numbers
Jennifer Shack. Resolution Systems Institute, 2012
This report reviews statistics for foreclosure dispute resolution programs in the US that have made their data public. The data reveals great variability in the percentage of of eligible foreclosures going through the programs, regardless of whether they are opt-in or opt-out programs, and in the percentage of borrowers who retain their homes through the process. The report also shows that some programs are effective at helping borrowers stay in their homes.
Best Practices in Foreclosure Mediation
Heather Scheiwe Kulp. Resolution Systems Institute, 2012
This report highlights wisdom collected from existing programs, failed attempts to create programs, and mediation's long history of success in resolving court-based and other types of disputes. The author reviews best practices for every step of the foreclosure mediation process, including initial program design and procedures to be followed before and during mediation