For more than 44 years, I have practiced before a host of federal and state trial and appeal courts around the country, as well as handling proceedings before a single arbitrator or arbitration panel. Because of that lengthy experience, I believe that I am qualified to say that trial and appellate proceedings, with a few exceptions, are an uneconomic and inefficient "paper-chase." Commonly, a client’s interests are made subservient to crowded dockets, a lengthy and often unnecessary pre-trial process and large legal expenses, all to prepare the case for what often seems like interminable appeals. But, there are alternatives to the courthouse, and Arbitration and Mediation are those alternatives.