An all-star panel of arbitrators and attorneys this week warned that the growing use of mandatory arbitration in consumer and employee contracts is restricting public access to the courts.

By clicking online agreements or signing work contracts, members of the public are waiving their right—often unwittingly—to settle legal disputes before a judge, said Stephen Younger, a partner with Patterson Belknap and past president of the New York State Bar Association who arbitrates high-stakes cases.