In 2013, ProfessorCarrie Menkel-Meadowdescribedthehistory of the contemporaryADR (alternativedispute re-solution) movement in the U.S.,as well as thestatusofthefield at that point. In this issue of ZKM,webeginafour-part series updating the status of the dispute resolutionfield in the U.S., identifying meaningful developments,surveying relevant empirical research, and consideringchallenges. The series begins with this installment’sexa-minationofareas of development and innovation incourt-connecteddispute resolution, particularly focusingon the use andevaluation of onlinedispute resolution(ODR) as well as advocacy for special masters (nowcalled“court-appointed neutrals”). Future installments will con-sider empirical research regarding mediation,focusingparticularly on the effects ofvarious interventions such asthe use of caucus, developments in private mediation andarbitration, and dispute resolution-influenced develop-ments in legal practice and educationinthe U.S