Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

Mediation is about to change law practice. It is the cheapest, lowest risk, and most under-utilized form of alternative dispute resolution. And the demand for it is rapidly growing.

Public pressure for making the legal system more accessible is responsible for some of the increased demand . Hard-pressed businesses looking for ways to control their legal costs are also responsible for mediation's rise in popularity. Corporate counsel increasingly choose outside lawyers on the basis of the outsider's commitment to ADR, according to a recent article.