Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

Getting Along: The Evolution Of Dispute Resolution Regimes In International Trade Organizations, Andrea Kupfer Schneider

Michigan Journal of International Law

In the face of the remarkable growth of international organizations in the last fifty years, scholars in multiple disciplines have sought to explain why and how states cooperate. Dispute resolution is one of the most crucial components of international cooperation. Examining the dispute resolution regimes of international organizations in light of these theories can inform and help reform these evolving regimes.

A Model For Arbitration: Autonomy, Cooperation And Curtailment Of State Power, Kenneth

Fordham Urban Law Journal

As compared with the formal pleadings, massive discovery, aggressive motion practice, and endless appeals of litigation, arbitration is undoubtedly more efficient as a dispute resolution mechanism. However, efficiency is only one of many advantages of arbitration. Arbitration empowers disputing parties, promotes individual autonomy and cooperation, and curtails the power of government in the process. Still, the state should not wholly limit its involvement in arbitral processes; the courts do and should have a substantial role in determining the enforceability of arbitration agreements and awards in a few select contexts. Overall, courts should enforce arbitration agreements and only limit enforceability that …

Labor Law - The Substance Of Procedure: Defining Judicial Authority And The Role Of The Arbitrator In Independent Association Of Continental Pilots V. Continental Airlines, Wendy A. Tyson

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Awarding Costs And Attorneys' Fees In International Commercial Arbitrations, John Yukio Gotanda

Michigan Journal of International Law

This Article examines the practice of awarding costs and fees in international commercial arbitrations. Part I reviews the history of awarding costs and fees and the approaches that countries have adopted to resolve these claims. It concludes that an overwhelming number of countries permit such awards and follow the principle that the losing party should reimburse the prevailing party for expenses incurred in connection with the arbitration, including attorneys' fees. Part II examines the approaches used by international arbitral tribunals in resolving claims for costs and fees and finds that they are inadequate. Part Ill proposes a new model for …

Protocols For International Arbitrators Who Dare To Settle Cases, Harold Abramson

Scholarly Works

The best time to settle an international business dispute can be after the international arbitration proceeding has been commenced. Just like in court litigation, parties may be ready to settle only after the adjudicatory process has begun and even has progressed. In court, judges commonly open the door to settlement; they hold settlement conferences and even actively participate in settlement negotiations. But arbitrators rarely open the door to settlement; when they do, they risk losing their jobs. So, what can international arbitrators safely do? What dare they do?

In this article, the author explores the dilemma presented when one neutral …

Compelling Arbitration Of Claims Under The Civil Rights Act Of 1866: What Congress Could Not Have Intended, Jean R. Sternlight

Scholarly Works

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was a very special statute, designed at minimum to eliminate all "badges and incidents of slavery" and to ensure that the freed slaves would be provided with civil rights equal to those of white persons. Its enforcement depends on the availability of a neutral public system of justice. Private arbitration cannot assure these characteristics. Thus, courts should not enforce agreements to arbitrate future disputes that may arise under this statute. This Article, however, does not argue that arbitration of claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1866 should be prohibited altogether. Disputants who mutually …

Nasd Applications Require Arbitration Of Employment Disputes - Mouton V. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., Christina S. Young

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Under the Federal Arbitration Act's (FAA) mandate favoring arbitration, numerous statutory claims are subjected to arbitration. For employment disputes falling under Title VII, competing approaches based on whether the employment agreement was a union or a non-union agreement, have been adopted. Union agreements to arbitrate employment disputes are generally not compelled to arbitrate. Conversely, in a non-union employment agreement, the broad arbitration clauses are interpreted to require arbitration of Title VII claims. These inconsistent rules have been applied to the detriment of non-union employees.

The Right Mix, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

This edition of Dispute Resolution Magazine explores several aspects of the problem. It begins with a debate between Jean Sternlight and Theodore 0. Rogers over the propriety of mandatory predispute arbitration processes in the consumer and employment contexts, followed by a proposal by Terry Trantina for a "constructive compromise" regarding the general validity of arbitration agreements in contracts of adhesion.

This trio of essays is followed by articles on two major arbitration reform efforts. The first, by Thomas J. Stipanowich and J. Clark Kelso, discusses the rise of protocols and other industry standards intended to bring fairness to the arbitratica …

Recent Developments: The Uniform Arbitration Act, Benjamin K. Byrd, Mondonna L. Ghasedi, Robert J. Steintjes, Michelle Trant

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This Article is an overview of recent court decisions that interpret state versions of the Uniform Arbitration Act ("U.A.A.").' Arbitration statutes patterned after the U.A.A. have been adopted by thirty-four states and the District of Columbia.' The goal of this project is to promote uniformity in the interpretation of the U.A.A. by articulating the underlying policies and rationales of recent court decisions interpreting the U.A.A.

Failing Faith In Litigation? A Survey Of Business Lawyers' And Executives' Opinions, John M. Lande

Faculty Publications

To provide a more systematic assessment of contemporary faith in litigation, this article looks at a particular context-- business litigation--and analyzes the opinions of three groups of respondents: lawyers in private law firms who do commercial litigation (“outside counsel”), lawyers employed in business firms who do some litigation (“inside counsel”), and nonlawyer executives in business firms (“executives”). These groups have the greatest exposure to litigation in the corporate setting; furthermore, because they play powerful roles in our political, economic, and social life as well as the legal system, their opinions influence public opinion more generally.

Introduction: Current Issues In Arbitration, Shannon E. Pinkston

Vanderbilt Law Review

"[An incompetent attorney can delay a case for years, while a competent attorney can delay it for even longer."'

This oft-repeated joke illustrates the public perception of the delays and expense that accompany courtroom litigation. Indeed, growing frustration with crowded courts and exorbitant legal costs fuels the widespread Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") movement. Notwithstanding the dramatic increase in its use, ADR, defined as "procedures for settling disputes by means other than litigation," is not a novel idea. In fact, ADR was present in America as early as the seventeenth century. In certain parts of colonial America, voluntary arbitration was a …

Arbitration Of Workplace Discrimination Claims: Federal Law And Compulsory Arbitration, Norris Case

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Badinter Commission: The Use And Misuse Of The International Court Of Justice's Jurisprudence, Michla Pomerance

Michigan Journal of International Law

It has long been the dream of those anxious to increase the role of adjudication in international relations that the International Court of Justice ("ICJ," "International Court," or "the Court") would act in the international arena as a superior court-a forum whose pronouncements would nourish, sustain, and help unify the jurisprudence of other international tribunals, whether of an ad hoc or standing nature, and of national courts handling international law issues. In the context of self-determination, the Arbitration Commission of the European Community's Conference for Peace in Yugoslavia ("the Badinter Commission," "the Commission," or "the Arbitration Commission") would appear, at …

A Comment On The 1996 United Kingdom Arbitration Act, Thomas E. Carbonneau

Faculty Scholarship

The 1996 United Kingdom Arbitration Act is a remarkable piece of legislation. It is a highly accessible statutory framework both from a linguistic and organizational standpoint. The 1996 Act represents a substantial improvement over prior English arbitration statutes,including the 1979 Act. The new legislation is comprehensive, thorough, cogent and coherent. In its presentation and content, it easily rivals both longstanding and recentlegislative enactments on arbitration. It is built upon a wealth of knowledge and expertise of arbitration law and practice, and embodies a very contemporary and integrated concept of arbitration. This commentary endeavors to highlight and appraise the most significant …

Contracting Access To The Courts: Myth Or Reality? Bane Or Boon?, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Many scholars of the dispute resolution system perceive a sea change in attitudes toward adjudication that took place in the mid-1970s. Among the events of the time included the Pound Conference, which put the Chief Justice of the United States and the national judicial establishment on record in favor of at least some refinement, if not restriction, on access to courts. In addition, Chief Justice Burger, the driving force behind the Pound Conference, also used his bully pulpit as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to promote ADR, particularly court-annexed arbitration. The availability of judicial adjuncts such as court-annexed arbitration …

Mandatory Pre-Dispute Arbitration: Steps Need To Be Taken To Prevent Unfairness To Employees And Consumers, Jean R. Sternlight

Scholarly Works

Courts, arbitral organizations and governmental agencies are increasingly recognizing that mandatory binding arbitration can be used both to disadvantage employees and consumers, and to evade legal requirements. Over the last decade, private parties such as employers, manufacturers and financial organizations began using binding arbitration agreements to skirt the public law, and public juries, with increasing intensity. As so often happens, overreaching may once again be giving way to retrenchment, as the tide seems to be turning away from the “anything goes” approach of the earlier 1990s.

Civil Justice Reform Symposium: Introduction, James F. Hogg

Faculty Scholarship

Many people in the United States are not happy about the way in which litigation proceeds. In a country sometimes thought to be overpopulated with lawyers, either one party or both parties in a significant percentage of civil cases apparently cannot afford, or decline to retain, legal counsel. Financing for legal aid seems to be less than adequate, pro bono services are helping to some extent, but the administration of civil justice is in danger of sinking in the swamp of pro se ("do-it-yourself') litigation. The articles in this symposium discuss ideas for reform, such as introductory resources directed at …

Protecting Unionized Employees Against Discrimination: The Fourth Circuit's Misinterpretation Of Supreme Court Precedent, Ann C. Hodges

Law Faculty Publications

This article will first review the Supreme Court's arbitration jurisprudence, concentrating on labor and employment law cases. Next, the article will analyze the cases involving arbitration under collective bargaining agreements decided by the courts of appeals subsequent to Gilmer. The article will then evaluate the two different approaches of the circuit courts in light of the law relating to collective bargaining and union representation. Finally, the article will review alternative methods of protecting employee rights to determine whether unions can preserve employees' statutory rights under the rule of the Fourth Circuit. The article concludes that the Supreme Court should …

Debating The Proper Role Of National Law Under The New York Convention, Thomas E. Carbonneau

Faculty Scholarship

One of the many consequences of the progressive development of globalization apparently has been to incite a vigorous debate among leading members of the international arbitral community about the role of national law in implementing the enforcement regime of the New York Arbitration Convention (Convention). The debate was provoked by federal court rulings in two recent cases: Chromalloy Aeroservices v. Arab Republic of Egypt (Chromalloy) and Alghanim & Sons v. Toys"R" Us (Toys "R" Us). Prior to these opinions, there appeared to have been an implicit consensus in the international community regarding the "anational"character of …

I'Ll Take It For What It Is Worth -- The Use Of Hearsay Evidence By Labor Arbitrators: A Primer And Modest Proposal, Marvin F. Hill, Jr., Tammy M. Westhoff,

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article considers these and other selected problems dealing with hearsay evidence that are likely to be encountered in the arbitral forum. It is our thesis that arbitrators do and should credit some (but not all) forms of hearsay evidence, but that the arbitral process is not served by admitting all evidence and "taking it for what it is worth." Further, we believe when an advocate's case against a grievant consists entirely of hearsay evidence, and there is no reliable substitute for cross examination or "equivalent circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness," the grievant should prevail. Only in the rarest of cases …

Ombudsman Offices In The Federal Government - An Emerging Trend, Jeffrey Lubbers

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Injunction Of Arbitration Proceedings - Six Clinics Holding Corporation, Ii V. Cafcomp Systems, Inc., Heidi Albers

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The issue presented in Six Clinics Holding Corporation, I v. Cafcomp Systems, Inc., is whether a court is prohibited from issuing a preliminary injunction in a case subject to arbitration.' The parties had a private agreement to arbitrate any disputes, but the court enjoined the arbitration in order to determine a federal issue outside the arbitrator's jurisdiction The defendant argued that the Anti-Injunction Act, which prohibits federal courts from enjoining state court proceedings, was violated.4 However, the court found a loophole by stating that a private arbitration is not a state proceeding and thus is not governed by the Act.5 …

Arbitration: Time Limits And Continuing Violations, Richard I. Bloch

Michigan Law Review

Time limits in a collective bargaining agreement, particularly as they apply to the grievance procedure, are very important. Filing or processing deadlines are taken as seriously in the context of these private documents and negotiated time limits as they are in the world of standard litigation, with deadlines that are imposed statutorily or otherwise. Management advocates often view the time limitation provisions as virtually the only thing employers gain, as opposed to give, in the bargaining relationship. Deadlines have been strictly, if reluctantly, construed by most arbitrators. The "continuing violation" provides a meaningful exception to the otherwise immutable time bar. …

Mandatory Arbitration Of Employee Discrimination Claims: Unmitigated Evil Or Blessing In Disguise?, Theodore J. St. Antoine

Articles

One of the hottest current issues in employment law is the use of mandatory arbitration to resolve workplace disputes. Typically, an employer will make it a condition of employment that employees must agree to arbitrate any claims arising out of the job, including claims based on statutory rights against discrimination, instead of going to court. On the face of it, this is a brazen affront to public policy. Citizens are being deprived of the forum provided them by law. And indeed numerous scholars and public and private bodies have condemned the use of mandatory arbitration. Yet the insight of that …

Arbitration In Banking And Finance, William W. Park

Faculty Scholarship

The world's bifurcation into debtors and creditors has created yet another class of people: those involved in resolving disputes between lenders and borrowers. To promote reliability in financial dispute resolution, credit agreements have generally provided that potential controversies will be submitted either to courts in the bank's home jurisdiction, or to courts of a major money center such as London or New York.

How Will Lawyering And Mediation Practices Transform Each Other?, John M. Lande

Faculty Publications

This article sketches out some aspects of both lawyering and mediation practice that may be affected by development of a litimediation culture. Part II examines the growth of the private market for mediation and an accompanying specialization of mediation practice. These changes seem likely to require mediators to develop market niches with identifiable characteristics of their mediation practices. Simultaneously, lawyers, as regular buyers of mediation services, will be expected to recognize and make decisions based on significant distinctions between mediation providers.

Arbitration Agreements: Standard Of Review, Interpretation And Who Is Bound - Kenamerican Resources, Inc. V. International Union, United Mine Workers Of America, Shea Welch

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In KenAmerican Resources, Inc. v. International Union, United Mine Workers of America, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that a corporation which did not sign an arbitration agreement entered into by an individual who owned both that company, KenAmerican Resources, Inc., and the company that was clearly bound to the arbitration agreement, Ohio Valley Resources, Inc., was not bound by the arbitration agreement. 2 This was because the agent who signed the agreement, Robert Murray, was not acting on KenAmerican's behalf.3

Continuing The Downward Spiral For Unions - Carpenters V. Zcon Builders, Jeffery W. Fields

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Since their inception during the post-war years, collective bargaining agreements have been the primary method used by unions to get employers to deal with issues of importance to their labor force. However, the past few decades have seen a rapid decline in union membership as well as union effectiveness. 3 This casenote will look at whether or not the instant decision, Zcon, will be a contributing factor in the continuing downward spiral for unions.

Rethinking Appeal Of Arbitrability Decisions: When To Review That Which Long Process Could Not Arbitrate - F.C. Schaffer & (And) Associates, Inc. V. Demech Contractors, Ltd., Brian T. Mccartney

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This Note will proceed in five sections. Section II will set forth the factual framework of the Schaffer case and the holding of the Fifth Circuit Section III will briefly examine the legal background behind the appeal of arbitrability rulings.9 Section IV will explore the analysis and decision of the Fifth Circuit in Schaffer.0 Finally, Section V will comment on the Schaffer court's holding and discuss its policy implications. This Note will conclude that 9 U.S.C. section 16 must be carefully examined and refined in order to meet the policy goals of arbitration.

Recent Developments: The Uniform Arbitration Act, Patrick Fanning, Diana; Farr, Matthew S. Mcbride, Jared Wayne

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This Article is an overview of recent court decisions that interpret state versions of the Uniform Arbitration Act ("U.A.A."). Arbitration statutes patterned after the U.A.A. have been adopted by thirty-four states and the District of Columbia. The goal of this project is to promote uniformity in the interpretation of the U.A.A. by analyzing the various underlying policies and rationales of recent court decisions interpreting the U.A.A.