A New Automated Class of Online Dispute Resolution: Changing the Meaning of Computer-Mediated Communication‪.‬

INTRODUCTION Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) professionals, especially those specializing in Labor, have long dealt with the issue of automation. (1) The rapid rise of a new class of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), ironically having its roots in the labor field, may soon threaten the ADR profession. (2) Laura Calloway of the Alabama State Bar chaired the 23rd Annual ABA Techshow in Chicago. Calloway stated, "the show continues to grow because technology continues to both grow and change." (3) Referencing the rise of ODR in complex areas such as family law, keynote speaker Richard Susskind advised attendees to retool lest they be swept completely off the map. (4) "When the [economic] storm lifts," Susskind predicted, "the terrain is going to look wildly different." (5)