Americans can shop, socialize, and manage bills online 24 hours a day. However, disputing a lawsuit typically requires a trip to the courthouse during business hours. Those who live far from the courthouse, have limited mobility, and have inflexible work schedules are more likely to receive a negative judgment because they failed to appear in court. This can threaten homes, family stability, livelihood, and access to justice.

In 2018, Utah became the first state to build an online dispute resolution tool—a website that allows users to manage small claims cases online. This new technology changed the way Utah courts do business. And it was not easy. Leaders from this Utah initiative will discuss the challenges they faced, including technology, skeptics, and maintaining the rule of law.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.