Arbitrators

High School

Many arbitrators have backgrounds in law and business, so you should take a college preparatory curriculum that includes classes in business, government, social studies, mathematics, science, psychology, and computer science. Arbitrators must be able to communicate effectively with claimants, as well as other arbitrators, so be sure to take speech and writing courses. Learning a foreign language—such as Spanish—will allow you to take on cases that involve claimants who do not speak English fluently or at all. Fluency in a foreign language will also allow you to work in other countries.

Postsecondary Education

Arbitrators typically enter the field after first working as lawyers, judges, or business executives, but others have backgrounds in engineering, scientific research, construction, and health care.

Your best educational approach is to major in a field that you are interested in and also take arbitration, mediation, and other conflict resolution courses. A bachelor’s degree may be sufficient for some arbitration careers, while some companies or government agencies may require arbitrators to have a law degree, a master’s in business administration, or some other advanced degree. Some arbitrators also earn master’s degrees in conflict resolution, dispute resolution, international arbitration, and related fields.

Additionally, arbitrators receive training through independent conflict resolution programs, national and local conflict resolution membership associations, government-authorized not-for-profit organizations (such as FINRA), and colleges and universities.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate certificates in arbitration, mediation, conflict resolution, dispute resolution, and related fields. For example, American University in Washington, D.C., offers an online certificate program in international commercial arbitration to students who complete nine educational modules. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.

Other Education or Training

Arbitrators can stay up to date with developments in their industries or specialization by taking classes and webinars that are offered by postsecondary institutions, online learning platforms, professional associations, and for-profit education providers. Additionally, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators offers a variety of classes on dispute resolution that will be useful to aspiring and current arbitrators. Visit https://www.ciarb.org/qualifications-development for more information.