If the AAA is the biggest name in American arbitration, JAMS is the other one.

JAMS started as the “Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services.” Most people just say JAMS now. It’s a private company known for one thing above all: retired judges.

Let me explain what it does and how it compares, because people mix it up with the AAA all the time.

What JAMS is known for

JAMS is a private dispute-resolution provider. Like the AAA, it doesn’t decide your case itself. It gives you a roster of neutrals to pick from, a set of rules, and staff to manage the process.

The difference people point to is the roster. JAMS is famous for signing up retired judges and senior litigators. When a big company wants a former federal judge to hear its dispute, JAMS is often where they look.

So JAMS has a reputation as the high-end, white-glove option. Big cases, big names, big companies.

Is it any good?

Yes, and I mean that. JAMS is a respected, serious institution.

Its neutrals are experienced. Its process is solid. For a large, high-stakes dispute, having a former judge run the show has real value. Both sides trust the person, and that trust makes the whole thing work.

I’m not running JAMS down. On the cases it’s built for, it earns its reputation.

JAMS versus the AAA

People ask me which is better. It’s the wrong question. They’re more alike than different.

Both are respected. Both keep rosters and rulebooks. Both handle arbitration and mediation — mediation being the softer process where a neutral helps both sides reach a deal instead of imposing one.

The rough differences: the AAA is older, bigger, and handles a huge volume across every size of case. JAMS leans more premium and is especially known for those retired judges. In practice, both are strong, and both are priced for serious disputes.

The cost, honestly

Here’s where I have to be straight. JAMS is not cheap, and its premium reputation comes with premium pricing.

A JAMS neutral often bills $500 to $1,000 an hour, sometimes more for a marquee retired judge. There are case-management fees on top. Split between the parties, plus your own lawyers, a fought-out JAMS matter can run into the tens or hundreds of thousands and take many months.

That’s fine when the dispute is big enough to justify it. On a $50,000 fight, it’s like hiring a moving company with a crane to carry one box. You’re paying for capacity you don’t need.

Where a flat fee wins

Both JAMS and the AAA charge by the hour and by the size of the fight. That model works against you on small and mid-size disputes, because the process can cost a real slice of what you’re fighting over.

That’s the gap Neutral-Driven Resolution works in. You still get the core good idea — one trusted expert decides your case privately. But it’s built lean. One neutral, a focused dig into the facts, a decision in weeks, and a flat fee usually in the low thousands that you know before you start.

You don’t get a retired federal judge for that price. What you get is a fair expert, a fast answer, and no meter running. For most mid-size business disputes, that trade is a good one.

When JAMS is worth it

Some cases deserve the premium option.

If your dispute is large, complex, or bet-the-company, having a former judge both sides respect can be exactly what settles it. If your contract already names JAMS, you may be headed there anyway.

But if you’re a normal business with a mid-size dispute and a choice, ask what you’re actually buying. A famous name, or a fair decision? Sometimes you want the name. Often you just need the decision.