Labor Arbitrator

This is not an entry-level job. As a Labor Arbitrator, you must be an expert in all laws governing the institution of arbitration, as well as the specific rules of arbitration that apply to each particular case. A Labor Arbitrator also needs experience negotiating, interpreting, and implementing collective bargaining agreements.

For each arbitration you handle, as an Labor Arbitrator, you make sure you’re familiar with the applicable rules of arbitration. Then you get busy scheduling a series of meetings, issuing notifications to the opposing parties, listening to witnesses, reading documents, making judgments, issuing rulings, deciding who wins, and determining the appropriate financial award. You also keep necessary records of everything you’ve done at each step along the way.

En route to becoming accepted and successful, you must display good moral character, follow the highest standards of ethics, and adhere to well-established rules of conduct. The slightest hint of bias or corruption can easily ruin your reputation.

To improve your skills and increase your credibility, you’ll benefit from joining important professional organizations such as the American Arbitration Association, the National Academy of Arbitrators, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

With few full-time jobs available, you operate like a Lawyer: slowly and carefully building a practice. To do this, you give speeches and write articles to become better recognized and to strengthen your reputation. You can also cultivate potential clients by making contacts and providing services. It takes about half a dozen years or more conducting arbitrations and writing decisions, averaging about one per month, before you acquire enough contacts, prominence, and experience to sustain a career in this field.