COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION

Professor Drahozal
Spring 2004

MATERIALS

The following books are required for this course: Christopher R. Drahozal, Commercial Arbitration: Cases and Problems (2002); Documentary Supplement to Commercial Arbitration: Cases and Problems (2002); and the 2003 Update (available at the Book Exchange).

POLICIES

Regular class attendance and preparation are essential. I reserve the right to exclude from the exam any person whose attendance is unreasonably lax. I further reserve the right to reduce the grade of any person who is chronically unprepared or late for class. You will receive a warning and an opportunity to correct the problem before I take either of these steps.

The grade for the course will be based on a three-hour modified open-book essay examination.

The School of Law makes appropriate accommodations for students who have special needs because of a disability. Any student who has a disability and needs accommodation to perform the requirements of this course should consult with me and with Associate Dean Webb Hecker. Arrangements for an accommodated exam must be made well before the final examination period.

ASSIGNMENTS

The following assignments are from the casebook and the 2003 Update, as indicated. In addition to reading the pages assigned, make sure to read any rules or statutes referred to in the text. They are reprinted in the documentary supplement.
 

    Casebook Update Problems
I. Introduction to Commercial Arbitration
A. A Theory of Private Dispute Resolution
B. What is Arbitration?
C. Why Arbitrate?
D. A Brief History of Commercial Arbitration		 1-13
13-27
27-36
37-50
1-2

3		 1.1 & 1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
II. Enforcing Domestic Agreements to Arbitrate
A. Who Decides Arbitrability
B. Default in Proceeding with Arbitration
C. The Scope of the Arbitration Agreement
D. General Contract Law Defenses
     1. Assent & Formalities
     2. Lack of Consideration
     3. Unconscionability, Reasonable Expectations and
         Contracts of Adhesion
     4. Fraud
     5. Material Breach
E. Procedural Issues – Part 1		 51-52
52-62, 68
69-79
79-86

86-103
103-107
107-114

115-119
120-125
135-140
5-8



9-16

17-22



 
2.1 - 2.3
2.4 & 2.5
2.6

2.7 - 2.10
2.11
2.12

2.13
2.14 & 2.15
2.17
III. Arbitrability of Federal Statutory Claims
A. The Nonarbitrability Doctrine
B. Current Issues
     1. Civil Rights

     2. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
C. Arbitrability and Statutory Rights and Remedies		 141-166

166-172, 178-179
184-191
191-204		 23

24-30


31-40		 3.1 - 3.4

3.5

3.7
3.8 & 3.9
IV. The Federal Arbitration Act and State Law
A. Preemption and the FAA 
B. Scope of the FAA
C. Applications
D. Choice of Law Issues 
E. Procedural Issues – Part 2		 205-225
225, 233-241
241-253
254-265
265-277
41-45
46-57

 		 4.1 - 4.4
4.5 - 4.7
4.8 - 4.11
4.12-4.14
4.15 & 4.16
V. Enforcing International Agreements to Arbitrate
A. Scope of the New York Convention
     1. “Agreement in Writing”
     2. “International”
     3. “Commercial”
     4. Reciprocity
B. Defenses to Actions to Enforce International
    Arbitration Agreements
     1. Who Decides Arbitrability
     2. Assent
     3. “Subject Matter Capable of Settlement by
         Arbitration” 
C. Procedural Issues		 279-280

280-287
287-293
293-297
297-301


301-307
307-313
319-329

329-337



59







 

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4


5.5
5.6
5.8 & 5.9

5.10 & 5.11
VI. The Arbitration Proceeding
A. Initiating the Proceeding
B. Representation
C. Selecting Arbitrators
     1. The Mechanics of Selecting Arbitrators
     2. Challenging Arbitrators for Partiality
D. Provisional Remedies
E. Consolidation and Class-Wide Arbitration
F. Discovery
G. Pre-Hearing Procedure and Motions Practice
H. The Hearing
I. The Award
J. Online Arbitration Proceedings		 339-340
340-345
346-357

357-362
362-379
379-394
394, 401-403
405-417
426-434
434-451
451-463
463-469

61-62


63-64

65-70




71
6.1
6.2 & 6.3

6.4 & 6.5
6.6 & 6.7
6.8
6.9 & 6.10
6.11 & 6.12
6.14
6.15 & 6.16
6.17
6.18 & 6.19
VII. Enforcing Arbitral Awards
A. Challenging Awards Before the Tribunal
B. Enforcing and Challenging Domestic Awards
     1. Grounds for Vacating Awards 
     2. Procedural Issues
C. Enforcing and Challenging International Awards
     1. Actions to Enforce
     2. Grounds for Non-Enforcement
     3. Actions to Vacate
D. Modifying the Standard of Review by Contract
471-481

481-509
509-521

521-530
536-550
551-569
569-570, 576-577



73

74-79


80-86
7.1

7.2 - 7.8
7.9

7.10 & 7.11
7.12 & 7.13
7.14 & 7.15
7.16 & 7.17
VIII. Drafting Arbitration Clauses
A. Empirical Studies of Arbitration Agreements
B. Drafting an Arbitration Clause		 593-613
613-634		   8.1 & 8.2
8.3 & 8.4

TENTATIVE COVERAGE

8/25:
8/26:
8/27:		 Read pages 1-11.
Read pages 11-27.
Read pages 27-50.		 Prepare Problem 1.1
Prepare Problems 1.2 and 1.3
Prepare Problems 1.4 and 1.5
9/2:
9/3:
9/4:		 NO CLASS
Read pages 51-57.
Read pages 58-69.
Prepare Problem 2.1
Prepare Problems 2.2 and 2.3
9/9:
9/10:
9/11:		 Read pages 69-79.
Read pages 79-92.
Read pages 92-103.		 Prepare Problems 2.4 and 2.5
Prepare Problems 2.6, 2.7, and 2.8
Prepare Problems 2.9 and 2.10
9/16:
9/17:
9/18:		 Read pages 103-114.
Read pages 115-125.
CLASS CANCELED		 Problems 2.11 and 2.12
Prepare Problems 2.13 and 2.14
 
Makeup: Read pages 125, 135-140. Prepare Problems 2.15 and 2.17 (skip 2.16)
9/23:
9/24:
9/25:		 Read pages 141-166.
Read pages 166-180, 184-191.
Read pages 191-204.		 Prepare Problems 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4
Prepare Problems 3.5 and 3.7 (skip 3.6)
Prepare Problems 3.8 and 3.9
9/30:
10/1:
10/2:		 Read pages 205-225.
Read pages 225-240.
Read pages 240-249.		 Prepare Problems 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4
Prepare Problems 4.5 and 4.6
Prepare Problems 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, and 4.10
10/7:
10/8:
10/9:		 Read pages 249-264.
Read pages 264-265.
Read pages 265-277.		 Prepare Problems 4.11 and 4.12
Prepare Problems 4.13 and 4.14
Prepare Problems 4.15 and 4.16
10/14:
10/15:
10/16:		 Read pages 279-297.
Read pages 297-313.
Read pages 319-337.		 Prepare Problems 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3
Prepare Problems 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6
Prepare Problems 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11 (skip 5.7)
10/21:
10/22:
10/23:		 Read pages 339-357.
Read pages 357-362.
Read pages 362-377.		 Prepare Problems 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3
Prepare Problems 6.4 and 6.5
Prepare Problem 6.6
10/28:
10/29:
10/30:		 Read pages 377-394.
Read pages 394-405.
Read pages 405-417.		 Prepare Problems 6.7 and 6.8
Prepare Problems 6.9 and 6.10
Prepare Problems 6.11 and 6.12 (skip 6.13)
11/4:
11/5:
11/6:		 Read pages 426-441.
Read pages 441-463.
Read pages 463-469.		 Prepare Problems 6.14 and 6.15
Prepare Problems 6.16 and 6.17
Prepare Problems 6.18 and 6.19
11/10:
11/11:
11/12:		 Read pages 471-490.
Read pages 490-499.
Read pages 499-506.		 Prepare Problems 7.1 and 7.2
Prepare Problems 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5
Prepare Problems 7.6 and 7.7
11/18:
11/19:
11/20:		 CLASS CANCELED
Read pages 506-521.
Read pages 521-535.
Prepare Problems 7.8 and 7.9
Prepare Problems 7.10 and 7.11
Makeup: Read pages 536-550. Prepare Problems 7.12 and 7.13
11/25:
11/26:
11/27:		 Read pages 551-569.
Read pages 569-577.
NO CLASS		 Prepare Problems 7.14 and 7.15
Prepare Problems 7.16 and 7.17 (skip 7.18)
 
12/2:
12/3:
12/4:		 Read pages 593-613.
Read pages 613-634.
Review		 Prepare Problems 8.1 and 8.2
Prepare Problems 8.3 and 8.4
 

Copyright 2004 Christopher R. Drahozal. Teachers are free to copy these materials for educational use in their courses only, provided that appropriate acknowledgment of the author is made. For permission to use these materials for any other purpose, contact the author.