In 1990 the Federal Judicial Center published Court-Annexed Arbitration in Ten District Courts, a statutorily mandated evaluation of the pilot court-annexed mandatory arbitration programs in ten federal district courts.

A discussion of various techniques for settlement, such as judicial mediation, court-annexed arbitration, the use of special masters, summary jury trials, minitrials, and settlement conferences conducted by magistrate judges.

An examination of a mediation procedure used in the Eastern District of Michigan that was built on an existing mediation program developed by the Third Circuit in Wayne County (Detroit), Michigan. The report describes the procedure in both the federal district court and the state trial court.

An examination of court-annexed arbitration as an alternative method of dispute resolution. The article describes in detail how an effective court arbitration program works and the goals the program is designed to achieve.