This training is designed to be highly interactive, encouraging participants to fully engage throughout the training. Attendees will take part in group exercises and discussions.
All times listed are Eastern Time (ET).
11:00-11:15 AM
Welcome and Introductions
Christine White, AHLA President
Karen Crump-Wilson
11:15 AM-12:15 PM
1. Arbitration Process and Agreement to Arbitrate
Elise Brennan
- Key Steps
- Legal Overlay
- Tailoring the process to specific situations
12:15-12:25 PM
Break
12:25-1:25 PM
2. AHLA Rules and Procedures
Karen Crump-Wilson
- Serving as an AHLA neutral
- Joining the roster
- Positioning yourself for success
- Frequently asked questions
- Understanding AHLA's rules of procedure for arbitration
- Managing challenging situations
- Pro se (unrepresented) parties
- Uncooperative parties or unruly behavior
- Sanctions in arbitration
1:25-2:00 PM
Lunch Break
2:00-3:00 PM
3. Process for Selecting an Arbitrator | Arbitrator Ethics and Disclosures
Paul Risner
- Options and Processes for Arbitrator Selection
- Communications between Parties and Arbitrators
- Arbitrator disclosures
- Codes of Arbitrator ethics
3:00-4:00 PM
Group Exercise on Ethics
Paul Risner
- Ethics-based scenarios for analysis and group discussion
11:00-11:45 AM
4. Arbitrator Authority and Responsibilities
Mary Austin
- Scope of Arbitrator authority
- Jurisdiction determinations
- Role of Arbitrator
- AHLA rules that support the Arbitrator in making a determination
- Managed arbitrations
11:45-12:45 PM
5. Pre-Hearing Process
Mary Austin
- The Rule 5.4 Status Conference
- Procedural issues
- Substantive issues
- Fact Discovery
- Expert Witnesses Disclosures and Discovery
- Non-Party Subpoenas
- Motion Practice
- The Scheduling Order
12:45-1:15 PM
Lunch Break
1:15-2:15 PM
6. Managing Electronically Stored Documents in Arbitration
Paul Risner
- Basic terms and concepts
- Distinctive features
- Establishing ground rules for the production of ESI
- Sampling
2:15-3:30 PM
Group Exercise on Arbitrator Authority and Preliminary Hearings
Mary Austin and Paul Risner
- Handout with 9 questions on authority and process for analysis and group discussion
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
7. Arbitration Hearings
Elise Brennan
- Pre-hearing submissions
- Opening and closing arguments
- Evidence: ground rules and guidelines
- Managing time and emotions
- Closing and reopening the hearing
12:15-1:15 PM
Group Exercise on Arbitration Hearings
Elise Brennan
- Analysis and group discussion on Arbitration hearings
1:15-1:45 PM
Lunch Break
1:45-2:45 PM
8. Awards and Orders
Mary Austin
- Interim Orders
- Partial Final Awards
- Form / framework of awards
- AHLA rules on awards
- Drafting of awards
- Corrections
2:45-4:00 PM
Group Exercise on Awards and Orders
Mary Austin
- Analysis and group discussion of drafting an award based on a hypothetical set of facts
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
9. Post-Hearing Issues
Paul Risner
- Confirmation of the award
- Vacating an award
- Application of state law
- Application of Federal Arbitration Act (FAA)
- Limitations of review and manifest of disregard of the law
- Appellate consideration
12:15-1:00 PM
10. Overcoming Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making
Karen Crump-Wilson
- What is unconscious bias
- What causes bias
- Best practices for deciding fairly
1:00-1:30 PM
Questions and Answers
All Trainers
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