Congressional Hearing on Arbitration

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled "The Federal Arbitration Act and Access to Justice: Will Recent Supreme Court Decisions Undermine the Rights of Consumers, Workers, and Small Businesses?"   Video of the hearing is here.   Senator Al Franken begins the hearing with a strongly negative view toward arbitration clauses in consumer and employment contracts of adhesion.  While I disagree with much of it, he is a very intelligent person, which showed in his comedy career and shows in the senate.

The witnesses at this hearing include several very impressive and capable people:

Leslie Overton

Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Enforcement, Antitrust Division
U.S. Department of Justice

Alan Carlson

Owner
Italian Colors Restaurant
Oakland, CA

Myriam Gilles

Professor of Law
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Vildan Teske

Partner
Crowder, Teske, Katz, & Micko, PLLP
Minneapolis, MN

Archis A. Parasharami

Partner & Co-Chair, Consumer Litigation & Class Actions practice
Mayer Brown LLP
Washington, DC

Peter Bowman Rutledge

Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Herman E. Talmadge Chair of Law
University of Georgia School of Law

UNLV Law Prof. Jean Sternlight's written testimony is here.