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Full-Text Articles in Law

Arbitration And The Right To Have Your Day In Court: Meeting Again At The Turning Of The Tide, Lucas Clover Alcolea Jun 2022

Arbitration And The Right To Have Your Day In Court: Meeting Again At The Turning Of The Tide, Lucas Clover Alcolea

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article aims to explore court decisions which have made arbitration less attractive to businesses—both those which have refused to enforce arbitration clauses and paradoxically and those which have enforced arbitration clauses—as well as to provide an overview of businesses' reactions to those decisions and make some predictions about the future direction of travel. To that end, this article will be divided into three main parts. The first will explore the decision of New Prime Inc. as well as the various federal appellate decisions that have applied it. The second will explore the challenges posed by mass arbitration, and the …


Employment Arbitration Agreements: The Case For Ethical Standards For Dispute Resolution System Designers, Michael L. Russell Apr 2021

Employment Arbitration Agreements: The Case For Ethical Standards For Dispute Resolution System Designers, Michael L. Russell

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Dispute resolution design is an emerging field, both academically and professionally. Attorneys, mediators, and arbitrators, the other roles in the alternative dispute resolution process, have codes of ethics which guide their conduct. Dispute resolution designers, however, have no such guidelines. This article uses the example of mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context to illustrate why this lack of ethical guidelines for dispute resolutions designers is problematic. In recent years, mandatory arbitration agreements significantly impacted employment law and litigation. The two most problematic provisions that often appear in mandatory arbitration agreements in the workplace context are cost sharing provisions and …


It’S Time To Pay Up, The Justification For Higher Salaries For Wnba Players: An Analysis Of The Wnba’S Success And Employing Mediation Between The Wnba And Nba To Leverage Future Success, Lerae Ettienne Jun 2019

It’S Time To Pay Up, The Justification For Higher Salaries For Wnba Players: An Analysis Of The Wnba’S Success And Employing Mediation Between The Wnba And Nba To Leverage Future Success, Lerae Ettienne

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This comment looks at the potential positive effects that mediation can have in fostering a better relationship between the two leagues and for the WNBA and its players to get their much-deserved respect and compensation. First, the comment will go in depth regarding the structure of the WNBA, and its history to date. Next, the comment will examine the WNBA’s success despite the discrepancy in pay and the purported lack of viewership. The comment will then expound on the rise of mediation as one of the major ADR tools. Next, the comment will analyze the success of mediation in professional …


Ban The Box: Mediation’S Place In Criminal Reentry And Employment Rights, Shawn Anderson Jun 2019

Ban The Box: Mediation’S Place In Criminal Reentry And Employment Rights, Shawn Anderson

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This note will provide general insight into a growing civil rights movement through discussion of Ban the Box, then make the case for mediation as the best alternative for providing a remedy to applicants whose rights have been violated. Mediation can more effectively achieve the goals of Ban the Box by incentivizing applicants to report instances of nonconformity with the law, empowering the applicants to engage in honest discourse with their prospective employers, and combatting the negative stigma surrounding persons with criminal records that often keeps employers from hiring the qualified employees that they need.


Arbitration In Internal Dispute Resolution Programs: The Scarlet Letter “A” In Sexual Harassment Claims, Sarah Sachs May 2019

Arbitration In Internal Dispute Resolution Programs: The Scarlet Letter “A” In Sexual Harassment Claims, Sarah Sachs

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Comment evaluates the use of arbitration and mediation as effective alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for resolving workplace sexual harassment claims. Part II discusses the legal development of sexual harassment claims in the workplace. Part III evaluates companies who use internal dispute resolution programs with mediation and arbitration to resolve workplace harassment claims. Finally, Part IV analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of companies designing and implementing internal dispute resolution programs to adjudicate workplace sexual harassment claims.


The Eternal Debate On External Law In Labor Arbitration: Where We Stand Five Decades After Meltzer V. Howlett, Philip Baldwin Oct 2017

The Eternal Debate On External Law In Labor Arbitration: Where We Stand Five Decades After Meltzer V. Howlett, Philip Baldwin

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article details the oft-debated issue of how labor arbitrators should reconcile collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”) with public sources of law, i.e., “external law,” particularly when the plain meaning of a CBA would lead to an arbitration award in contravention of public law. The article traces the origin of the debate back to 1967, when renowned labor arbitrators Robert Howlett and Bernard Meltzer took opposing views on the matter in front of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Although Meltzer’s traditional view, that arbitrators should respect the CBA and ignore the law when the two diverge, may have been the more …


Conduct Detrimental: Examining The Nfl’S Collective Bargaining Agreement And The Commissioner’S Role Through A Case Study Of Deflategate, David Shyu Oct 2017

Conduct Detrimental: Examining The Nfl’S Collective Bargaining Agreement And The Commissioner’S Role Through A Case Study Of Deflategate, David Shyu

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Note will closely examine whether the NFL, specifically its Commissioner, has exceeded its authority in its handling of the recent incident involving allegations of the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady’s role in deflating footballs during a crucial playoff game. The Note will look at the existing the NFL current Collective Bargaining Agreement, and trace the source of the Commissioner’s power. Then it will delve into the details of the case—including the Wells Report and investigation, the arbitration process, and the District Court opinion. The Note will analyze the District Court’s opinion in anticipation of the Second Circuit’s …


A Business Alternative: Changing Employers' Perception Of The Eeoc Mediation Program, Mark Lim Sep 2017

A Business Alternative: Changing Employers' Perception Of The Eeoc Mediation Program, Mark Lim

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This paper will reveal employers' perception of the EEOC Mediation Program and offer viable changes that may encourage more employer participation in the mediation program. Although the mediation program is supposed to be fair and neutral, the possibility of favoritism, bias, prejudice, or the perception thereof remains high because of the mediation program's structure. If the EEOC were to make changes to its program that also creates a perception of impartiality, then employers would be more willing to participate. To demonstrate this, Part II of this article will begin by discussing the history of the EEOC from its initiating mandate …


The Eternal Debate On External Law In Labor Arbitration: Where We Stand Five Decades After Meltzer V. Howlett, Philip Baldwin Sep 2017

The Eternal Debate On External Law In Labor Arbitration: Where We Stand Five Decades After Meltzer V. Howlett, Philip Baldwin

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article details the oft-debated issue of how labor arbitrators should reconcile collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with public sources of law, i.e., “external law,” particularly when the plain meaning of a CBA would lead to an arbitration award in contravention of public law. This article traces the origin of the debate back to 1967, when renowned labor arbitrators Robert Howlett and Bernard Meltzer took opposing views on the matter in front of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Although Meltzer’s traditional view, that arbitrators should respect the CBA and ignore the law when the two diverge, may have been the more …


Whistling In Silence: The Implications Of Arbitration On Qui Tam Claims Under The False Claims Act, Mathew Andrews Feb 2016

Whistling In Silence: The Implications Of Arbitration On Qui Tam Claims Under The False Claims Act, Mathew Andrews

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

For nearly twenty years, corporate defendants have sought unsuccessfully to use arbitration to roll back protections for whistleblowers suing under federal law. The state and federal judiciaries have long stymied these efforts, on the grounds that defendants cannot force the Government's claims into the secretive forum of arbitration. In January 2013, this protection came to an end. A federal court ruled for the first time that a whistleblower suing on behalf of the United States must pursue its action in arbitration. Five months later, this trend continued as federal courts have compelled arbitration of state law qui tam actions. This …


The Evolution And Decline Of The Effective-Vindication Doctrine In U.S. Arbitration Law, Okezie Chukwumerije Sep 2014

The Evolution And Decline Of The Effective-Vindication Doctrine In U.S. Arbitration Law, Okezie Chukwumerije

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article offers information on the history, significance and role of the effective-vindication doctrine in U.S. arbitration law in promoting access to justice. It analyzes the significance of broad policy implications regarding the interpretation of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) by the Court facilitating the arbitration of commercial disputes and protecting the statutory rights of consumers in the context of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Randolph.


Construction Partnering: Can These Protocols Build A Stronger Labor-Management Community?, Jim Stott, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Apr 2012

Construction Partnering: Can These Protocols Build A Stronger Labor-Management Community?, Jim Stott, Juan Carlos Gonzalez

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In an expansive marketplace where large organizations in the construction, manufacturing, service and union industries are facing increased global competition, collaborative labor relations are essential to maximizing efficiency and productivity. It is for this reason that developing collaboration between labor and management is highly researched and consulted by academics and professionals throughout the world. Although various models of collaboration have been developed, none have been found to clearly overcome that insidious conflict and paradigm of "Labor vs. Management." The purpose of this paper is to provide academics and consultants (mediators/facilitators) an additional perspective for designing, developing and implementing the best …


Cooperative Bargaining Styles At Fmcs: A Movement Toward Choices , Carolyn Brommer, George Buckingham, Steven Loeffler Apr 2012

Cooperative Bargaining Styles At Fmcs: A Movement Toward Choices , Carolyn Brommer, George Buckingham, Steven Loeffler

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service ("FMCS") was created in 1947. While an array of subsequent statutory enactments have expanded the FMCS charter, the core mission of FMCS has been, and remains, to assist labor and management to settle their disputes through mediation as well as to promote the development of sound and stable labor management relationships. The vision of how that mission will be realized has changed significantly in response to changes in our society, to expanded knowledge of conflict resolution and labor relations, and to lessons gathered by the nation's mediators over a half-century of work with collective …


Managing Workplace Grief--Vision And Necessity , Jan Jung-Min Sunoo, Brenda Paik Sunoo Apr 2012

Managing Workplace Grief--Vision And Necessity , Jan Jung-Min Sunoo, Brenda Paik Sunoo

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In the course of offering workplace expertise, the FMCS has also presented its workshop "Managing Grief in the Workplace." The trainings have been given at local, regional, national and international labor relations and mediation conferences, and in college settings. We have found great receptivity to this cutting edge topic. Support in this area can greatly help unions and companies work through the conflicting expectations of a bereaved employee's job performance. Workshops in "Managing Grief in the Workplace" can initiate needed discussions and helping the partners to set up compassionate and realistic bereavement policies in the workplace. Finally, many participants expressed …


Essential Collaborative Technology Tools For The 21st Century: Fmcs Tags System , Michael J. Wolf, Jon Numair, Jack Yoedt Apr 2012

Essential Collaborative Technology Tools For The 21st Century: Fmcs Tags System , Michael J. Wolf, Jon Numair, Jack Yoedt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Mediators employed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service ("FMCS") utilize a powerful set of technology tools that helps groups more effectively solve problems, make decisions and implement those decisions more successfully. FMCS mediators use these tools to help customers conduct collective bargaining negotiations, strategic planning sessions, grievance meetings, internal elections, large conferences, as well as remote meetings and online surveys via the Internet. Known as the FMCS TAGS System, this network of Internet servers, mobile computers, electronic conferencing facilities, customized software and external partners has demonstrated significant achievements during its first two years of operation. FMCS customers report that …


Fmcs On The Cutting Edge, Richard Barnes Apr 2012

Fmcs On The Cutting Edge, Richard Barnes

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

As a national organization with a proud and distinguished history in conflict resolution, FMCS has always felt a particular obligation to promote professionalism and public confidence in the mediation process. In light of the growing number of individuals who identify themselves as "mediators", and the lack of any uniform standards for the practice of mediation, FMCS is the first national organization to credential outside private and public sector mediators. We are focusing on three specific dispute resolution disciplines: labor, employment, and regulatory negotiations. Credentialing does not restrict mediation practitioners to the extent that licensure and certification would. Rather, credentialing distinguishes …


Eliminating The Mandatory Trade-Off: Should Employees Have The Right To Choose Arbitration ?, Michael Peabody Apr 2012

Eliminating The Mandatory Trade-Off: Should Employees Have The Right To Choose Arbitration ?, Michael Peabody

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

As more employers include mandatory arbitration provisions in their employment contracts, policy-makers are becoming concerned that employees are being forced to trade their civil and statutory rights for their jobs. The California Legislature is considering legislation designed to combat this tendency and to provide legal protection for employees who might otherwise be forced to waive the right for redress of grievances, legal protections against discrimination, and other rights. Although the legislation was designed to protect the constitutional rights of employees, there are legal considerations and policy concerns that challenge the viability of this type of legislation. The primary question is …


Making It Work At Work: Mediation's Impact On Employee/Employer Relationships And Mediator Neutrality , Allison Balc Apr 2012

Making It Work At Work: Mediation's Impact On Employee/Employer Relationships And Mediator Neutrality , Allison Balc

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Comment discusses the ADR process of mediation in the employment setting, specifically addressing its benefits and effects on the employer/employee relationship and the potential for a non-neutral mediator who is paid by, or has some previous tie to, one of the parties. Section IA examines judicial and legislative views of ADR and mediation. IB discusses mediation's effectiveness in the workplace. Section II discusses the mediation process in an employment dispute. Section III discusses the effects of mediation on the employer and employee, empirical studies, the neutrality of mediators, and potential remedies. Section IV discusses neutrality in the mediation process. …


Will Eeoc V. Waffle House, Inc. Signal The Beginning Of The End For Mandatory Arbitration Agreements In The Employment Context? , Marc A. Altenbernt Apr 2012

Will Eeoc V. Waffle House, Inc. Signal The Beginning Of The End For Mandatory Arbitration Agreements In The Employment Context? , Marc A. Altenbernt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Since the inception of several employment and discrimination statutes, arbitration has grown exponentially as an alternative for the adjudication of employment disputes. The Supreme Court has traditionally held that statutory claims are indeed arbitrable pursuant to a valid arbitration agreement under the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA"). In an effort to end employment discrimination based on "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin," Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"). In order to adequately effect this calling, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") was created as the Act's primary enforcement mechanism. While arbitration agreements under the FAA and …


The Aclu And The Propriety Of Dispute Resolution In Civil Rights Controversies, Amber Mckinney Mar 2012

The Aclu And The Propriety Of Dispute Resolution In Civil Rights Controversies, Amber Mckinney

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Section I examines the history, purpose, and methodology of the American Civil Liberties Union. Section II discusses the historical development and use of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Section III, Part A provides examples of its use in environmental controversies, Americans with Disabilities Act disputes, and employment conflicts. Section III, Part B explains the arguments for and against the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Civil Rights Controversies. Section IV, Part A looks at examples of the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution by the American Civil Liberties Union, while Part B provides insight into the interplay of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the …


Negotiating Part-Time Work: An Examination Of How Attorneys Negotiate Part-Time Arrangements At Elite Law Firms , Audrey J. Lee Mar 2012

Negotiating Part-Time Work: An Examination Of How Attorneys Negotiate Part-Time Arrangements At Elite Law Firms , Audrey J. Lee

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article first provides background information pertaining to recent research on gender in negotiation and prior studies on part-time work at law firms. The author then discusses the methodology and sample of the current study of part-time work arrangements of attorneys at elite law firms in one major metropolitan legal market. Next the article describes the current study's results with respect to whether attorneys viewed this situation as an opportunity to negotiate, measured by their preparation, and whether attorneys' approaches were impacted by the existence of objective criteria, viewed here as the firm's part-time policy. The author then provides prescriptive …


Compulsory Pre-Dispute Arbitration Clauses In The Employment Context After Eeoc V. Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps , Maria Wusinich Mar 2012

Compulsory Pre-Dispute Arbitration Clauses In The Employment Context After Eeoc V. Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps , Maria Wusinich

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In EEOC v. Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, decided in 2003, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals aligned its view with its sister circuits and with the Supreme Court regarding the enforceability of arbitration agreements in employment discrimination cases. The court held that an employee's agreement to arbitrate a claim arising under federal anti-discrimination law is enforceable. At first glance, it would appear that as far as the judicial branch is concerned, the longstanding issue of the validity of mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context is now settled. This article, in contrast, posits that the courts will be …


A Post-Pierce Program: Using Idr To Improve The Los Angeles Fire Department's Current Complaint And Disciplinary Procedure , Jacklyn Pawlowski Floryan Mar 2012

A Post-Pierce Program: Using Idr To Improve The Los Angeles Fire Department's Current Complaint And Disciplinary Procedure , Jacklyn Pawlowski Floryan

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Having an alternative to litigation is important for employees and employers in all organizations and corporations. One such option is through internal dispute resolution (IDR) mechanisms. IDR mechanisms are alternative processes used instead of litigation to solve a dispute in its early stages. When organizations and corporations do not have an established set of mechanisms in place or the employees are unaware of the procedure, lawsuits result. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is one such organization that does not have a strong, established IDR procedure in place. This paper analyzes the LAFD's current complaint and disciplinary procedure and how …


Collective Bargaining Agreements In Professional Sports: The Proper Forum For Establishing Performance-Enhancing Drug Testing Policies, David M. Washutka Feb 2012

Collective Bargaining Agreements In Professional Sports: The Proper Forum For Establishing Performance-Enhancing Drug Testing Policies, David M. Washutka

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The intrusive nature of drug testing implicates the concern over a person's right to privacy. Currently, Congress has proposed legislation which would establish minimum drug testing requirements in professional sports. This legislation is a reaction to suspicions and investigations surrounding Major League Baseball players and the use of performance enhancing drugs. Federally mandated drug testing would raise constitutional issues regarding the players' rights against mandatory drug testing. These concerns could be avoided if drug testing policies are implemented through a collective bargaining agreement, negotiated and agreed upon between the leagues and their players associations. Thus, as previously asserted, collective bargaining …


Revisiting The Promise Of Mediation For Employment Discrimination Claims , Susan K. Hippensteele Feb 2012

Revisiting The Promise Of Mediation For Employment Discrimination Claims , Susan K. Hippensteele

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This paper generally examines the theory and practice of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and specifically examines the role mediation has played in propelling rights discourse away from the center of efforts to achieve equal employment opportunity in the United States. It further addresses assumptions regarding individual employee goals in the context of a legal environment in which litigating to achieve rights-based remedies is increasingly difficult for grievants.


A Fighting Chance: The Proposed Servicemembers Access To Justice Act & Its Potential Effects On Binding Arbitration Agreements, Sean M. Hardy Feb 2012

A Fighting Chance: The Proposed Servicemembers Access To Justice Act & Its Potential Effects On Binding Arbitration Agreements, Sean M. Hardy

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In August 2008 a bill was introduced in the United States Senate that clearly states Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights of 1994 (USERRA) claims supersede any preexisting arbitration clauses in employment agreements. This bill, known as the Servicemembers Access to Justice Act (SAJA), would restore full access to the federal court system for USERRA plaintiffs. This paper examines the SAJA and its potential effects on the USERRA. It begins with a survey of the history behind the passage of the USERRA, as well as the FAA. Next, it describes the two federal circuit court decisions that have led to …


Employees Losing Power, Losing Jobs: Making The Case For Mediating Power In The Era Of Buy-Ins And Bailouts, Lovalerie Mullins Feb 2012

Employees Losing Power, Losing Jobs: Making The Case For Mediating Power In The Era Of Buy-Ins And Bailouts, Lovalerie Mullins

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article proposes that dispute in the workplace is the best illustration of the loss of equanimity boundaryless employees experience in their work environment, and further, that dispute systems design necessitates a power neutralizing approach for mediating struggles caused by power disparity present in today's private employment relationships. To that end, my goal is to provide an employee-centered perspective of self-regulated employment policy in America, and to demonstrate the degree of conflict (and eventual disputation) such policy creates for boundaryless workforces. Ultimately, I make the case for an evolved dispute resolution process more able to manage power disparity in modem …