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2003

University of Missouri School of Law

Courts

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

Applying The Eligibility Rule In Securities Arbitration: Resolving Circuit Court Conflict Regarding The Proper Role Of Arbitrators And Courts - Howsam V. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., James D. Hughes Jul 2003

Applying The Eligibility Rule In Securities Arbitration: Resolving Circuit Court Conflict Regarding The Proper Role Of Arbitrators And Courts - Howsam V. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., James D. Hughes

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In Howsam v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., the United States Supreme Court reviewed a Tenth Circuit holding that the eligibility rule presented a question of arbitrability, and was thus for the court to decide. Reversing, the Supreme Court held that the arbitrator, not a court, should apply the time limit rule. The Court's decision resolves the split among the circuit courts in addition to allowing arbitration clauses in securities firms' client agreements to serve their purpose of providing an efficient and less costly method of litigating disputes relating to investment accounts, ultimately increasing investor confidence in the securities industry.


First Options, Consent To Arbitration, And The Demise Of Separability: Restoring Access To Justice For Contracts With Arbitration Provisions, Richard C. Reuben Apr 2003

First Options, Consent To Arbitration, And The Demise Of Separability: Restoring Access To Justice For Contracts With Arbitration Provisions, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

This article describes the context and current state of the law in this area under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), urges the Court to continue its path toward actual consent to arbitration, and suggests an approach for finally reconciling the tension between Prima Paint and First Options. Part II describes the nature and historical context of the arbitrability problem. Part III focuses specifically on the doctrine of separability, which is the most critical (and most complex) of these exceptions. Part IV discusses the impact on separability of recent U.S. Supreme Court case law, especially the 1995 decision in First Options …