The nationally recognized New Jersey Office of Dispute Settlement (ODS) provides mediation and other neutral dispute resolution services in the public interest.
These services include:
- serving as a mediator to resolve complex civil litigation and public disputes;
- managing dispute resolution programs;
- providing training in negotiation and mediation.
ODS’ services have saved millions of dollars in litigation costs, hundreds of hours of judicial time and helped the courts relieve their civil case backlog. ODS is a recipient of the CPR Legal Program National Award for “Outstanding Practical Achievement in Dispute Resolution.”
ODS serves as a court-appointed mediator in over 75 cases each year in both the federal and state courts. These cases involve a wide range of subjects including: public disputes, environmental clean-up, employment, construction, personal injury and insurance coverage.
Significant cases mediated by ODS include:
- $100 million federal class-action lawsuit involving the proposed demolition of high-rise public housing in Newark;
- Major Exxon oil spill in the waters between New York and New Jersey involving state and federal agencies;
- $500 million environmental insurance coverage dispute involving a Fortune 500 company and 20 of its insurance carriers;
- $100 million construction dispute involving the building of a light rail line; and
Major health care coverage dispute between a hospital and insurance provider.
ODS manages three distinct dispute resolution programs which resolve over 700 cases each year involving:
- Construction disputes between new home owners and builders under the New Home Warranty program;
- Access to records disputes brought under the Open Public Records Act; and
- Disputes between excavators and utilities pursuant to the Underground Utility Protection Act.
ODS also provides negotiation and mediation training to hundreds of judges, attorneys and public managers. Specific groups trained include: Superior Court Judges, Administrative Law Judges, the Attorney General’s Office, the State Police and attorneys on the State Court Mediation Roster.
