How AAA made a century of arbitration wisdom instantly queryable.
The American Arbitration Association partnered with Edtek to transform its case preparation library into a free, AI-powered Chat Book — giving practitioners, students, and self-represented parties source-verified answers in plain English.
Authoritative content that nobody could find.
The AAA publishes some of the most important resources on arbitration and dispute resolution — including "Case Preparation and Presentation: A Guide for Arbitration Advocates and Arbitrators" by Jay E. Grenig and Rocco M. Scanza, alongside comprehensive rule sets for commercial, consumer, and labor arbitration.
But people navigating arbitration — new advocates, law students, self-represented parties — face steep learning curves. Complex procedures, unfamiliar rules, and dense legal language make it difficult to find specific answers quickly. The content existed. Discovering it was the problem.
The AAA needed a way to make this knowledge accessible to everyone, not just experienced practitioners. Traditional search wasn't enough — users needed answers synthesized across multiple sections, presented in plain language, with citations they could trust.
Key requirements
Zero hallucinations
Answers must come exclusively from verified AAA publications — never fabricated
Accessible to non-experts
Self-represented parties and students must be able to query in plain English
Free public access
No paywalls, no subscriptions — core to AAA's mission of accessible dispute resolution
Full source citations
Every answer must link to the specific handbook section or rule it came from
"Making it easier for parties and advocates to present a claim is core to our mission. The Chat Book series will empower parties and advocates."
A Chat Book built on verified content, not a general-purpose LLM.
Using Edtek Chat's RAG architecture, we built the AAAi Chat Book — a conversational interface where every answer is sourced from the four corners of AAA's own publications.
Semantical RAG pipeline
The LLM is used exclusively for parsing user queries — never for generating answers. Document fragments are retrieved through multi-criteria ranking and reranking, then synthesized into responses grounded entirely in source material.
Hallucination prevention by design
When the source material doesn't contain enough information to answer a question, the system returns a transparent "no answer" response rather than fabricating one. Trust is non-negotiable in legal content.
Citations with source previews
Every answer includes clickable references to the specific handbook section or rule. Users see the original passage alongside the synthesized answer — verification is one click away.
Three editions, one platform
The same architecture powers three distinct Chat Books: Case Preparation (based on Grenig & Scanza's guide + AAA rules), Labor Arbitration (drawing from Fundamentals of Labor Arbitration), and Non-Attorneys (tailored for self-represented parties navigating arbitration without legal training).
What it looks like in practice
A practitioner asks a question. The Chat Book answers — with sources.
What are the best practices for preparing a witness for an arbitration hearing?
Witness preparation for arbitration hearings involves several key practices. The advocate should meet with each witness beforehand to review their testimony, ensuring they understand the format of arbitration proceedings…
It is important to prepare witnesses for cross-examination, coaching them to answer questions directly and avoid volunteering information beyond what is asked…
Accessible. Trusted. Expanding.
Public access — no paywall, no subscription. Core to AAA's mission.
Live editions — Case Preparation, Labor Arbitration, and Non-Attorneys.
Of queries handled — making dispute resolution guidance accessible at scale.
"We're thrilled the AAA chose Edtek. They now have the same opportunity to transform static resources into a dynamic, AI-powered learning tool."
Who the AAAi Chat Book serves
From first-time advocates to experienced arbitrators, the Chat Book meets users where they are.
Self-represented parties
The dedicated Non-Attorneys edition is tailored for individuals navigating arbitration without legal training — from drafting clauses to managing post-award procedures.
Law students & ADR programs
Students studying alternative dispute resolution can explore arbitration procedures, rules, and best practices through interactive Q&A rather than linear reading.
Advocates & arbitrators
The Case Preparation and Labor Arbitration editions let practitioners quickly find specific rules, procedural guidance, and best practices — synthesized across the handbook and AAA-ICDR rule sets.
Want to build your own Chat Book?
If AAA can transform a case preparation handbook into a queryable AI tool, imagine what your content could become.