Outreach

Although RSI does not conduct outreach to advocate for ADR per se, the organization does engage in education about ADR and does advocate for court ADR to be conducted in an effective, efficient manner that is satisfying to the participants. To further this goal, RSI uses a variety of outreach mechanisms.

• Service to the Community Award: RSI presents an award to individuals whose cumulative activities substantially and meaningfully furthered and enhanced court-annexed ADR systems in the State of Illinois.
• Newsletters: RSI publishes Analyzing the Alternatives, a semiannual newsletter about the issues facing those who work with court ADR and developments in the field. RSI also publishes a monthly e-newsletter, Court ADR Connection, highlighting recent news, events and research on court ADR from around the country.
• Blog: RSI staff members discuss important topics related to court ADR on Just Court ADR, RSI's blog.
• Publications: From writing articles to publishing studies and co-editing entire books, RSI seeks to improve the quality of court ADR through an array of targeted publications.
• Social Media: RSI posts updates on court ADR news and research on its organizational pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Public Speaking and Mediation Policy Development: RSI staff members speak regularly to bar associations, mediation groups and other interested audiences, about current issues in alternative dispute resolution such as mediation ethics, evaluating court ADR programs, and mediator quality. They also commit untold hours of volunteer work to important policy matters in the field, such as the revision of the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators and to improving mediator quality.