COURT RESOURCES
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY ABOUT ODR
Using Our Communication Guide
RSI’s Guide for Courts provides recommendations to improve mailed documents, websites and informational videos. In particular, these recommendations can help you effectively communicate with self-represented litigants. As you create your court documents, develop a website or online platform or design informational videos, you can follow the steps discussed throughout this Guide.
We have written the Guide using evidence-based best practices, so you can use our language and formatting as examples. You can use the Worksheet and Checklist in conjunction with the Guide to make sure your communications have included the most important recommendations. Finally, you can use these resources to improve your current communications or to design new communications for the general public.
Using Our Models
RSI’s Court Communication Models can be adapted to fit your unique needs.
You can use RSI’s Court Communication Models to enhance your existing court documents, webpages, and videos to more effectively communicate with self-represented litigants, or to create new materials.
Toolkit for Making ODR Make Sense to the Public
We have included a Toolkit for Making ODR Make Sense to the Public that offers detailed information about how we designed the models, the purposes of each model, and specific recommendations for designing each model type for your particular needs based on our focus group and usability test research.
THE MODELS
ODR Explainer Video
Our explainer videos serve as model examples to most successfully guiding self-represented litigants in accessing and using ODR, with a standard version and an accessible-friendly option for those with vision or hearing impairments.
Have Questions?
Please contact RSI if you would like editable versions of the notice or webpage. RSI is also able to offer a customized technical assistance service to help meet your specific needs. Contact us to learn more.
Models are © 2025 Resolution Systems Institute. Commercial use is not permitted.
