Arbitration is a legal way to resolve disagreements between parties instead of going to court. Most arbitrations take place with just the parties and the arbitrator, who acts as a neutral third party. Lawyers and other professionals work in a variety of arbitration jobs in an attempt to resolve issues ranging from contracts, labor laws and wage issues.
One of the many arbitration jobs is that of an arbitration program specialist. This professional works as a case specialist performing case management. The specialist’s primary duties are entering information about the parties into the arbitration system for the arbitrator and handling tasks such as invoices and expenses. Other responsibilities this person has are reviewing and putting documents into the file as well as requesting exhibits for arbitration.
Commercial arbitration attorneys hold another one of the many arbitration jobs available in this field. Attorneys who work as arbitrators are often hired by companies to conduct private arbitration between the company and the party who filed the complaint. Many companies now include mandatory arbitration in contracts for common situations such as disgruntled employees and consumer complaints. Insurance companies also retain attorneys to arbitrate settlements between consumers for motor vehicle accidents and certain homeowner claims. This is beneficial to the company because it can save the money associated with court costs, legal fees and expert witnesses.
An alternative dispute resolution coordinator (ADR Coordinator) is typically employed with a court system such as civil or criminal court. The ADR coordinator is responsible for assigning someone to arbitrate the case and schedule arbitration. This employee also sends out notices to the parties once the arbitration has been set and assists with any conflicts the parties have. The coordinator informs the judge assigned to the matter of any pending arbitration.
Labor arbitrators are one of the arbitration jobs that are in high demand due to escalating conflicts with employers and employees. These individuals are normally attorneys or other professionals who have experience in negotiating labor contracts, salaries and employment issues. Labor arbitrators also offer educational classes such as labor-management training and worker’s compensation policies.
People who work in arbitration jobs should have knowledge of labor laws and employment trends. An arbitrator also needs to know jurisdictional rules and procedures involving arbitration. Some other tasks an arbitrator needs to be able to do are conduct case reviews, analyze party issues and do legal research. The arbitrator also has to know how to draft arbitration agreements and stipulations.