Data sources included a telephone survey of 29 dispute settlement projects, site visits to 20 programs, an analysis of a national directory of 328 programs, and observations of congressional sessions dealing with the 1980 Dispute Resolution Act. Programs range from those based in the justice system and having large caseloads, those sponsored by nonprofit organizations and receiving most referrals from the justice system, and community-based programs with low caseloads. The three main settlement techniques used are conciliation, mediation, and arbitration. A growing body of research findings indicates that these programs are often superior to adjudication for the types of matters they handle. They also process cases more rapidly than the courts. They make substantial efforts to have their services be accessible to disputants, but are currently underused. Increasing their use is one of their major challenges. Tables, footnotes, appended charts, and 103 references.