With courts backed up in their civil dockets, due to the year-long pandemic-related delays, parties (and counsel) may wish to consider resolving their dispute in an arbitral forum rather than in court. In order to make that decision, it might be helpful to explore the pros and cons of each. As a retired federal judge with a total of 27 years of judicial experience, and now an arbitrator for the past five years, I have had a close-up view of both processes. I hope my insider views will be useful to lawyers and clients alike in choosing the appropriate forum in which to resolve their disputes.