Different perceptions of dispute resolution are reviewed, and the need for more discussion of the content of a dispute and less discussion of the procedure is emphasized. The emergence of disputes is traced, beginning with the transformation of unperceived injurious experience into perceived injurious experience. A typical neighborhood justice center case is discussed, and some of the principles constituting the legacy of the American adversarial system are identified. One principle, for example, regulates the way in which people view the relationship of legal rights to overall social goals. The question of whether bureaucrats will accept environmental mediation is raised, and the need for providing incentives for agencies to use mediation is noted. The problem of enforcing negotiated agreements to environmental disputes is examined, and cost allocations for cleaning up hazardous waste sites are explored. Two problems arising in the resolution of family disputes are analyzed: protection of client confidentiality by nonlawyer mediators and the unequal bargaining power of disputing spouses. The legal profession's attitudes toward divorce mediation are examined, with emphasis on Rule 2.2's authorization of a mediational role for lawyers. Finally, statutes that implement the process of mediation are discussed, and changes in law school education which will provide students with ADR knowledge and skills are recommended. Approximately 400 references are included.