NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the American Arbitration Association® (AAA), the global leader in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), today announced the launch of the Court Diversion Eligibility Screener, a new AI-enhanced platform designed to help support civil caseload diversion in court systems. The initiative, which is being piloted in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, helps courts preserve judicial resources, improve efficiency, and expand access to justice.

The Court Diversion Eligibility Screener applies AI to help streamline the administration and management of civil cases. Developed by the AAA, and backed by the AAA’s deep expertise and understanding of case management, AI-driven technology, and ADR, the tool enables courts to evaluate, manage, and resolve eligible cases more effectively by automating preliminary case assessments.

“AI gives us an opportunity to rethink and reimagine how we deliver justice through ADR,” said Bridget McCormack, president and CEO of the AAA. “We’re proud to partner with the NCSC to expand access, reduce delays, and improve outcomes for everyone involved. Developing this case management software with AI capabilities—such as automating case file review and providing preliminary eligibility analysis for diversion—demonstrates how thoughtfully applied technology can make a real difference. This work, supported by the AAA-ICDR Institute™, allows us to advance court-connected ADR and help courts manage resources to achieve just outcomes.”

Beth Clement, president of NCSC, added, “This collaboration has helped prove that, with sound business processes in place, AI can serve as a force multiplier for court diversion programs by making the underlying systems more efficient and agile. The team at NCSC is excited to extend lessons from this project across the state court community. We believe those lessons can be applied and integrated across a variety of types of cases, not just in consumer debt.”

The AAA-ICDR Institute, the AAA’s thought leadership and research arm, is supporting the collaboration to enhance fairness and efficiency in court-connected ADR. This work aligns with the Institute’s focus on access to justice, court-connected ADR, and AI in dispute resolution. By convening legal, academic, court, and tech stakeholders, the Institute promotes scalable strategies that expand the reach of ADR and access to fair and efficient dispute resolution.

The launch of the Court Diversion Eligibility Screener aligns with Resolution 3-2024, passed by the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators in 2024, which defined and encouraged the adoption of policies to support and implement thoughtful civil diversion programs. According to NCSC, these systems are likely to be most successful in jurisdictions where court-based civil diversion programs are already in place (or are ready to be launched) and where sound case flow management practices exist and are ready to be automated. With staff support and oversight, successful diversion programs can be optimized to divert cases more efficiently while reducing the burden on court staff and improve the litigant experience.

For more information on the Lancaster County pilot, visit the AAA-ICDR Institute Case Study.

For more information on how the Court Diversion Eligibility Screener works, visit the AAA Quick Reference Guide.

Courts and legal professionals interested in implementing the Court Diversion Eligibility Screener should contact NCSC.

About the American Arbitration Association

The not-for-profit AAA is the leading ADR service provider. It has administered more than eight million ADR cases since its founding in 1926. With offices throughout the United States and Singapore, the AAA provides organizations of all sizes in virtually every industry with ADR services and products. For more information, visit www.adr.org.      

About the National Center for State Courts

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to driving innovation and progress in courts and justice systems. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts. For more information, visit ncsc.org.

Lauren Nick
American Arbitration Association
212 401 4808
NickL@adr.org