Case Study: Travis County achieves faster, more accessible small-claims resolution with Tyler Technologies' Modria ODR

Travis County Uses ODR to Fight Traffic on the Roads and in the Court

Travis County Small Claims Court (Justice of the Peace Precinct 2, led by Judge Randall Slagle) faced growing pressure from rapid population and job growth in Austin that made courthouse access difficult—residents often traveled long distances through congested traffic to attend hearings. With only five JP courts serving 1.2 million people, the county needed a technology-driven way to expand access to justice and reduce the burden on courts and litigants.

Precinct 2 partnered with Tyler Technologies and the Austin Dispute Resolution Center to pilot Modria, the world’s leading online dispute resolution system, moving many small-claims services online. The results were dramatic: average case resolution dropped from about six months to two weeks (with a fastest resolution of two hours), 60% of ODR cases were settled by the parties without mediation, after-hours access increased, and the county has made ODR mandatory for eligible small claims while serving as a model for other jurisdictions.

Travis County

Randall Slagle

Judge