The “Gants Principles” for Online Dispute Resolution: Realizing the Chief Justice’s Vision for Courts in the Cloud

The late Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants was many things to many people: a beloved friend and family member, a visionary judge, an advocate for the vulnerable, and a forward-looking thinker. This Article recalls both personal and professional aspects of Ralph to illuminate an area of law where his judicial legacy will endure: online dispute resolution (ODR). Well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Justice Gants recognized the significance of online, cloud-based courts and articulated key principles for developing these courts to improve the lives of those who appear before them. This Article assesses the status and trends governing the recent explosion of ODR in both international and domestic settings. It closes by presenting four “Gants Principles,” which Ralph championed and urged us toward, to govern how ODR systems can develop more equitably and efficiently.