Terms of Use

Revised: November 3, 2025

Please read the following Terms of Use (“Terms of Use”) carefully as it constitutes legally binding terms and conditions between you (“You”, “Your”) and the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

INTRODUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE
Welcome to the American Arbitration Association® (“AAA®,” “we,” or “us,” or “our”). These Terms of Use (“Terms”) explain the rules for using our website at www.adr.org and any other AAA-owned, branded, or controlled websites or applications that link to these Terms (collectively, the “Portal”), and any services or additional functionality accessed via the Portal, including Internet-based alternative dispute resolution systems through which you may have your arbitration or mediation proceedings administered or conducted online, such as AAA WebFile® (“WebFile”) and the AAA Digital Dispute Resolution Center™ (“DDRC™”) (collectively, “Online Services”). “You” refers to you as a user of the Portal or Online Services.

BY USING THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES, YOU ARE AGREEING TO THESE TERMS. PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY.

ELIGIBILITY
If you are under the age of majority in your state of residence, your parent or legal guardian must agree to these Terms on your behalf and you may only access and use the Portal and Online Services with permission from your parent or legal guardian.  Certain Online Services may not be available for use by those under 18 years old.  

In addition, certain Online Services may be subject to separate membership and/or registration requirements, and eligibility for such Online Services will be determined by the AAA in its sole discretion.

ADDITIONAL TERMS
Some of our Online Services (e.g., the DDRC and certain other AI Features, defined below) are subject to additional terms and conditions (“Additional Terms”).  Additional Terms may include, without limitation, applicable AAA arbitration and mediation rules and dispute resolution procedures accessible at https://www.adr.org/rules-forms-and-fees/ (“AAA Rules”). Where Additional Terms apply to an Online Service, we will make them available for you to read prior to your use of that Online Service. By using that Online Service, you agree to the Additional Terms. Any Additional Terms are incorporated herein by this reference. If there is a conflict between these Terms and any of the Additional Terms, the Additional Terms shall govern with respect to the applicable Online Service.

FEES
Certain Portal features and/or Online Services are subject to a fee, as set forth in the AAA Fee Schedules, available at www.adr.org. Where applicable, you agree to pay any and all fees associated with your use of that Portal feature or Online Service. Please note that some fees are nonrefundable, as is clearly articulated in our Fee Schedules.

INTERNET ACCESS, DATA CHARGES
Use of the Portal and Online Services may require data or Internet access and a compatible device, and your data/Internet access provider may charge you data and/or carrier fees. The AAA is not responsible for providing or arranging for such access or for any carrier fees or charges. You acknowledge and agree that, when using the Portal or any Online Service, you will: (a) provide your own access to the Internet and pay any service fees associated with such access, and (b) provide all equipment necessary for you to access the Internet, including a device and any necessary software. The AAA is not responsible for any malfunctions, errors, crashes, or other adverse events that may occur from your use of the Portal or the Online Services.

USER CONDUCT
When you use the Portal or Online Services, you may not: (i) violate any law or regulation; (ii) violate, infringe or misappropriate other people’s intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights; (iii) post or share anything that is illegal, abusive, harassing, harmful to reputation, pornographic, indecent, profane, obscene, hateful, racist, or otherwise objectionable; (iv) send unsolicited or unauthorized advertising or commercial communications, such as spam; (v) engage in spidering or harvesting, or participate in the use of software, including spyware, designed to collect data from the Portal or Online Services whether through automatic, manual, or other means not purposely made available by us, including to develop or improve any software program, algorithm, or machine learning or artificial intelligence model; (vi) transmit any viruses or other computer instructions or technological means whose purpose is to disrupt, damage, or interfere with the use of computers or related systems; (vii) stalk, harass, or harm another individual; (viii) impersonate any person or entity or perform any other similar fraudulent activity, such as phishing; (ix) use any means to scrape or crawl any web pages contained on the Portal; (x) attempt to circumvent any technological measure implemented by us or any of our providers or any other third party (including another user) to protect the Portal or Online Services; (xi) attempt to decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software or other underlying code used to provide the Portal or Online Services; (xii) use AI Features or AI Outputs (each as defined below) to generate or disseminate unlawful, harmful, misleading, discriminatory, or abusive content; or (xiii) advocate, encourage, or assist any third party in doing any of the foregoing.

USER CONTENT
The Portal and some of the Online Services allow you to upload, submit, store, send, or receive content and data (“User Content”). You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that User Content. When you upload, submit, store, send, or receive User Content to or through the Portal or Online Services, you give us permission to reproduce and use your User Content as follows: subject to any separately provided confidentiality or privacy obligations, you grant to us and those we work with a perpetual license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works, and distribute your User Content for the limited purposes of operating, promoting, providing, and improving the Portal and Online Services, and to develop new Services. Our license to your User Content is non-exclusive, meaning you may use the User Content for your own purposes or let others use your User Content for their purposes. This license is also fully-paid and royalty-free. We may exercise our rights under this license anywhere in the world and in any media. 

You promise that:

  • you own all rights to your User Content or, alternatively, that you have the right to give us the rights described above; and
  • your User Content does not infringe the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other legal rights of any third party.

The AAA does not pre-screen, monitor, or edit User Content posted, or otherwise made available, on or through the Portal or Online Services. However, we may refuse to accept or transmit User Content for any reason and may, at our sole discretion, remove User Content from the Portal or Online Services.

OWNERSHIP
We own or license all right, title, and interest in and to (a) the Portal and Online Services, including all software, text, media, and other content available on the Portal and Online Services (“Our Content”); and (b) our trademarks, logos, trade dress, and brand elements (“Marks”). The Portal, Online Services, Our Content, and Marks are all protected under U.S. and international laws. The Portal and Online Services are copyright © AAA. All rights reserved. You may not duplicate, copy, or reuse any portion of the HTML/CSS, JavaScript, or visual design elements or concepts without express written permission from us.

COPYRIGHT AGENT
We respect the intellectual property rights of others and require that users of the Portal do the same. If you believe your copyrighted work has been used improperly on our Portal, please forward the following information to our Copyright Agent named below:

  • Your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address;
  • A description of the copyrighted work that you believe has been infringed;
  • A description of where the alleged infringing material is located;
  • A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by you, the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
  • The signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright interest’s owner;
  • And a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the provided information is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

Copyright Agent:
Sasha A. Carbone, Esq.
Office of the General Counsel
American Arbitration Association, Inc.
120 Broadway, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10271
Phone: (212) 716-5800
Fax: (646) 663-3074

PRIVACY
Your privacy is very important to us. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and share personal information and other data with others. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account information, including your username and password. You are also responsible for all activities that occur under your account, and you agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or use of your account. We are not responsible or liable for any damage or loss related to any unauthorized access or use of your account.

LINKED SITES; THIRD-PARTY PLATFORMS
The Portal and Online Services may contain links to other third-party websites and online resources (collectively, “Linked Sites”). A link to a third party’s website does not mean that we endorse it or that we are affiliated with it.

You may have the ability to link your account or otherwise access third-party services or platforms (collectively, “Third-Party Platforms”) to facilitate information sharing and/or the provision of services by such third parties. We do not have custody or control over the Linked Sites and/or Third-Party Platforms. To the extent you allow a third-party access to your User Content, it is your responsibility to evaluate the risks related to such disclosure. We are not responsible or liable for any damage or loss related to your use of any Linked Site or Third-Party Platform. You should always read the terms and conditions and privacy policy of any Linked Site or Third-Party Platform before using it.

BROWSING SESSION INFORMATION AND CHATBOT TECHNOLOGY
We use technologies that may maintain records of your browsing session, chats, and other activities on our Portal and Online Services. These technologies may include session replay that maintains a record of your interactions with our Site, chatbots that maintain a transcript of your chats, cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies that share some of your interactions with our Portal, as well as other technologies that collect and share your interactions with our Portal and Online Services. We may use information collected through these technologies to provide and improve the Portal and our Online Services, for quality control, customer service, fraud prevention, and security in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FEATURES
The Portal and our Online Services may include features that use generative artificial intelligence or machine learning models (“AI Features”). AI Features may analyze information you provide and return suggested text, summaries, recommendations, or other outputs (“AI Outputs”).

Unless otherwise specified in the Additional Terms for a particular AI Feature: (i) AI Outputs are provided solely for general informational purposes; (ii) AI Outputs do not constitute legal advice or professional advice of any kind; and (iii) your use of AI Features does not create an attorney-client, expert, fiduciary, or other advisory relationship with the AAA or its Affiliates. You should consult a qualified professional before relying on any AI Output.

You understand and agree that AI Outputs may be incorrect, incomplete, or misleading and may not accurately reflect the applicable law, AAA Rules, or the facts of any matter. You are solely responsible for evaluating and verifying AI Outputs before using them, and for any decisions or actions you take in reliance on any such AI Outputs. You agree to independently review AI Outputs before using them. You also remain solely responsible for your submissions and use of the Portal and Online Services. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the AAA and its Affiliates disclaim all warranties and liability arising from or related to your use of or reliance on any AI Outputs.

Unless expressly requested or required by an Online Service and you have all rights necessary to provide it, you should not include confidential, privileged, proprietary, personal, health, financial, or other sensitive information in prompts or inputs to AI Features.  Otherwise, if you choose to provide such information, you do so at your own risk and subject to our Privacy Policy and any applicable Additional Terms.

As between you and the AAA, you retain any rights you have in your prompts and AI Outputs, subject to the “User Content” section of these Terms. You grant the AAA the rights described in “User Content” to operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Portal and Online Services, including to develop and enhance AI Features.

The AAA does not represent or warrant that AI Outputs are non-infringing or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, AAA Rules, orders, and policies in any use of AI Features or AI Outputs. You agree not to use AI Features to generate or disseminate unlawful, harmful, misleading, discriminatory, or abusive content; to circumvent any AAA Rules, orders, or procedures; or to make automated decisions that materially affect the rights of others without appropriate human oversight.

AI Features may be provided or supported by third-party service providers, and your inputs and AI Outputs may be processed by such providers. AI Features may also be integrated with or rely on Third-Party Platforms or models. Your use of those features may be subject to the terms and privacy policies of such third parties. The AAA does not control and is not responsible for third-party services, platforms, or models.

MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (MFA) SMS AUTHENTICATION CONSENT
By enrolling in SMS-based multi-factor authentication, you:

  • Consent to receive automated text messages containing security verification codes;
  • Confirm that you are the authorized user of the mobile phone number provided;
  • Acknowledge that standard messaging and data rates may apply;
  • Understand that SMS delivery times may vary based on your carrier; and
  • Agree that we are not responsible for delays or failures in SMS delivery caused by your mobile carrier or telecommunications infrastructure.

You, the user, are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the security of your mobile device;
  • Updating your phone number if it changes;
  • Notifying us immediately if your phone number is compromised or no longer under your control; and
  • Any charges imposed by your mobile carrier for receiving SMS messages.

No Guarantee of Delivery: While we, or the third-party administering the MFA service, will make reasonable efforts to deliver SMS authentication codes, we do not guarantee delivery times or availability. SMS delivery may be affected by factors including but not limited to carrier issues, network congestion, device compatibility, or international restrictions.

DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATIONS ON OUR LIABILITY
YOUR USE OF THE PORTAL AND ONLINE SERVICES IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE PORTAL AND ONLINE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AAA AND OUR OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, AND LICENSORS (“AFFILIATES”) DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, AND REPRESENTATIONS OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT AND THOSE ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.  

IN PARTICULAR, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AAA AND ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF CONTENT AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES, OR THE CONTENT OF ANY WEBSITES OR OTHER SERVICES LINKED TO OR INTEGRATED WITH THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES. AAA AND ITS AFFILIATES WILL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY:  (a) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OR INACCURACIES OF CONTENT; (b) PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES; (c) ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF OUR SERVERS OR OF ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION OR USER DATA; (d) ANY INTERRUPTION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES; (e) ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE WHICH MAY BE TRANSMITTED ON OR THROUGH THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES BY ANY THIRD PARTY; (f) ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY CONTENT POSTED, SHARED, OR GENERATED (i.e., BY AI FEATURES) THROUGH THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES; OR (g) ANY DAMAGES, HARM, OR LOSSES THAT MAY RESULT FROM YOUR USE OF OR RELIANCE ON AI OUTPUT. 

YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY MATERIAL OR INFORMATION DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES IS DONE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE ARISING FROM DOING SO. NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM US OR THROUGH THE PORTAL OR ONLINE SERVICES WILL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY MADE.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL WE BE LIABLE TO YOU OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, OR DATA) OR FOR THE COST OF OBTAINING SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS, HOWEVER CAUSED, WHETHER SUCH LIABILITY ARISES FROM ANY CLAIM BASED UPON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE’VE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY UNDER THESE TERMS, FROM ALL CAUSES OF ACTION AND ALL THEORIES OF LIABILITY, WILL BE LIMITED TO AND WILL NOT EXCEED THE FEES YOU HAVE ACTUALLY PAID US DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY.

USER WARRANTIES
You represent and warrant that you will only use the Portal and Online Services in accordance with these Terms, any applicable Additional Terms, and all applicable laws, statutes, Rules, regulations, ordinances, and policies applicable in any relevant jurisdiction.

SERVICE MODIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL OUTAGES 
The AAA may change, add, or remove any of the services or features available on the Portal or through the Online Services at any time.  

The AAA shall not be responsible for any outages, technical failures or defects in the Portal, including but not limited to the Online Services.

USER INDEMNIFICATION
By using this Portal or any of the Online Services, and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold the AAA, its affiliates, directors and employees harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorney’s fees and legal costs), arising from or relating to, any actual or alleged breach of these Terms by you or anyone using your account.  We will have sole discretion to select the attorney to represent us, and you will reasonably cooperate with us in such defense.

TERMINATION
We reserve the right to modify, limit, or terminate any person’s access to the Portal or Online Services. We also reserve the right to terminate any user’s access to the Portal or Online Services at any time, in our discretion. If you violate any of these Terms, we may terminate your permission to use the Portal and Online Services.

TERRITORIAL USE/ACCESS DISCLAIMER
We control and operate the Portal from our offices in the United States of America. Materials on the Portal may not be appropriate or available for use in other locations. If you choose to access this Portal from other locations, you do so at your own initiative, and you are responsible for complying with local laws. 

DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND CHOICE OF LAW
If a dispute arises out of or relates to your use of the Portal or the Online Services, you agree to first attempt to resolve the dispute informally through good-faith negotiation. If the dispute cannot be settled through negotiation, you agree that any legal action will take place exclusively in the federal or state courts located in New York County, New York. 

Your use of the Portal and Online Services, and these Terms as well as any Additional Terms, are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

MISCELLANEOUS
Under no circumstances will we be held liable for any delay or failure in performance due in whole or in part to any acts of nature or other causes beyond our reasonable control.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, then that provision will be deemed severable from these Terms and will not affect the enforceability of any other provisions.

The failure by us to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not prevent us from enforcing such right or provision in the future.

We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, sale of assets or equity, or by operation of law.

CHANGES TO THESE TERMS
From time to time, we may change these Terms. If we change these Terms, we will give you notice by posting the revised Terms on the Portal. Changes to the Terms are effective when posted to the Portal. 

PLEASE PRINT A COPY OF THESE TERMS FOR YOU RECORDS AND PLEASE CHECK THE PORTAL REGULARLY FOR ANY CHANGES TO THESE TERMS.