Reuters reports a recent American Association for Justice report “reveals a glaring lack of diversity among arbitrators, the ultimate decision-makers in a form of alternative dispute resolution that businesses have utilized with stunning efficiency to limit Americans’ access to court.” The association “analyzed self-reported demographic data from the two largest consumer and employment arbitration providers in the U.S., the American Arbitration Association and JAMS, formerly known as Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services,” and “found that 88% of their arbitrators are white, and 77 percent are male.” Julia Duncan, senior director of government affairs for AAJ, said, “This is their own data, and the numbers are even worse than you might have imagined.” Spokespersons from both JAMS and AAA “acknowledged the need to improve diversity in their business, and noted that they each have diversity fellowships.”
From the news release of the American Association for Justice.
