The Eastern District of New York (EDNY) is a trial-level federal court that serves Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, with courthouses located in Brooklyn and Central Islip.

The EDNY Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Department administers mediation and arbitration services for civil cases filed in the EDNY.  The DSD Clinic will assist the ADR Department in taking stock of its current use of technology and examining how it might improve and/or expand its use in order to better meet the needs of parties and other stakeholders, and support access to justice. Specifically, the project will develop a “map” for a web and/or mobile app that will aim to streamline EDNY ADR processes, including access to information and communication with parties, attorneys, neutrals and ADR Department staff.

Students will:

• Conduct interviews and/or focus groups with members of the EDNY ADR Department, attorneys, mediators, parties, other federal court mediation programs, and additional stakeholders, in order to assess how current uses of technology impact stakeholders’ perspectives and experiences of mediation;
• Research the use of web and/or mobile applications in other court systems;
• Develop recommendations that address the viability of, and, if applicable, design choices for a mobile app that will support litigants’ access to and experience of the ADR Department, and efficient case processing and management by the ADR Department internally.