Perspectives on ADR

—Robert J. Grey, Jr., Former President, American Bar Association

In a message to the American Bar Association membership entitled Striving for a Just Solution, president Robert J. Grey Jr. encourages legal professionals to help eliminate the inefficiencies of traditional courtroom trials:

“Innovative, creative approaches include limitations on discovery, setting reasonable time limits for civil trials, reducing the number of expert witnesses, and more discipline by judges and lawyers in managing the costs and time associated with litigation.”

He adds, “Lawyers have to know when mediation, negotiation and arbitration...are the best use of resources to achieve a just solution.”

Utilizing methods of alternative dispute resolution such as arbitration and mediation can help control costs, limit discovery, and achieve timely resolutions. Says Grey, “The opportunity to modernize, streamline and provide a more efficient process for resolving disputes can only produce positive results for society and the [legal] profession.”