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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Arbitration Administrator

💰 $55,000 - $85,000

LegalOperationsADRAdministrative

🎯 Role Definition

The Arbitration Administrator is responsible for end-to-end administration of arbitration matters and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. This role combines legal-administrative rigor with client service: you will properly docket cases, manage deadlines, coordinate hearings and travel, prepare hearing binders and exhibits, liaise with parties and arbitrators, ensure compliance with forum rules (e.g., FINRA, AAA, JAMS), and maintain accurate records in case management systems. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, technically adept with e-filing and document management platforms, and experienced in communicating with internal stakeholders, external counsel, parties, and arbitrators.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Legal Assistant or Litigation Support Specialist transitioning into arbitration-focused work
  • Paralegal with litigation or regulatory experience
  • Claims Administrator or ADR Coordinator seeking specialization

Advancement To:

  • Senior Arbitration Administrator / Lead Arbitration Coordinator
  • Arbitration Operations Manager or ADR Program Manager
  • Director of Legal Operations, Head of ADR, or Practice Manager for dispute resolution teams

Lateral Moves:

  • Litigation Paralegal or Case Manager
  • Claims or Compliance Administrator
  • Legal Project Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage the full lifecycle of arbitration cases by opening, indexing, and maintaining case files in the firm's case management system; ensure accurate metadata, document versioning, privilege designations, and retention settings for each matter.
  • Perform meticulous docketing of pleadings, motions, discovery deadlines, hearing dates, award deadlines and administrative tasks in calendar systems; proactively trigger reminders, escalation protocols and deadline reports for attorneys and case teams.
  • Prepare, assemble and distribute comprehensive hearing binders, electronic hearing exhibits, witness lists, hearing notebooks and demonstratives for arbitrators, parties, and counsel; create both hardcopy and searchable electronic versions consistent with forum rules.
  • Coordinate all aspects of hearing and mediation logistics including reserving hearing rooms, booking court reporters and transcription services, scheduling interpreter services if needed, arranging AV equipment, and preparing hearing checklists so proceedings run without interruption.
  • Facilitate e-filing and service of process with arbitration forums (FINRA, AAA, JAMS) and third-party portals, ensuring filing forms, fees and supporting documents comply with each forum’s procedural requirements and timelines.
  • Serve as the primary administrative contact for arbitrators and tribunal administrators—confirm availability, circulate pre-hearing orders, manage compensation and travel arrangements for arbitrators, and process arbitrator invoices.
  • Intake new matters by reviewing engagement letters, intake questionnaires and demand notices; validate parties, claims, coverage information and identify conflicts or jurisdictional considerations for escalation to legal teams.
  • Coordinate document production and evidence exchanges across parties; manage document uploads, Bates-stamping, redaction workflows and secure sharing platforms while maintaining chain-of-custody and confidentiality protocols.
  • Track and administer arbitration-related billing, fee deposits, referee/arbitrator fee schedules, and reimbursements; prepare and reconcile invoices for filing fees, arbitrator fees, transcription, exhibits and travel.
  • Draft routine arbitration correspondence, procedural letters, hearing notices, proposed schedules and status updates for clients and internal teams; maintain consistent, professional, and timely communications.
  • Review awards, orders and arbitral decisions upon receipt, ensure proper service to all parties, record award outcomes in case databases, and coordinate the issuance of settlement or enforcement paperwork.
  • Manage transcript ordering, delivery and indexing post-hearing; obtain and circulate official transcripts, coordinate corrections and manage transcript billing and cost allocations.
  • Organize and maintain secure physical and electronic case repositories; implement document retention and destruction schedules in alignment with firm policy and legal requirements.
  • Maintain and update arbitration panel rosters, preferred arbitrator lists, and expert witness directories; collect and store arbitrator questionnaires, conflict checks and bios for quick reference.
  • Ensure compliance with confidentiality, privilege and data protection requirements for all arbitration materials, including coordinating secure transfer of confidential exhibits and sealed filings.
  • Provide triage-level legal support by preparing standard procedural forms, verifying service lists, assembling exhibits, and assisting attorneys with pre-hearing checklists and scheduling conflicts.
  • Perform quality-control reviews of filing packages, exhibits and award transmittals to confirm completeness, correct formatting, and adherence to forum rules and local practices prior to submission.
  • Implement and improve processes for arbitration intake, docketing, hearing setup and closeout; document workflows, update templates and train colleagues on best practices.
  • Generate and distribute regular status reports, hearing calendars, cost summaries and key performance indicators (KPIs) to partners, practice leads and operations managers to support caseload visibility and budgeting.
  • Coordinate travel logistics and accommodations for internal teams and witnesses attending out-of-town hearings, ensuring cost-effectiveness and timely arrangements.
  • Maintain and respond to escalated client inquiries relating to scheduling, deadlines, fees and hearing logistics with professional client-service orientation and confidentiality.
  • Support discovery workflows in coordination with eDiscovery or litigation support teams by preparing production sets, organizing bates ranges, creating privilege logs and managing chain-of-custody documentation.
  • Assist with settlement processing after awards by coordinating payoff instructions, closing binders, funding verification and distribution of settlement documentation to relevant parties.

Secondary Functions

  • Act as a subject-matter resource for arbitration administration policies and standard operating procedures; help draft internal SOPs, checklists and training materials.
  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests, create custom export reports from the case management system, and help analyze arbitration spend trends to support budgetary decisions.
  • Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to streamline hearing setup, e-filing practices and document assembly through templates, macros, or automation tools.
  • Mentor and train junior administrative staff, new hires and temporary hearing coordinators on arbitration protocols, calendaring rules and system usage.
  • Assist the ADR Program Manager with vendor selection and management (court reporting, videoconference providers, courier services) and maintain vendor performance records.
  • Coordinate periodic audits of arbitration files for compliance, completeness and quality control; prepare audit findings and remediation plans for leadership.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep familiarity with arbitration forum rules and procedures (FINRA, AAA, JAMS, ICDR) and practical experience with forum-specific forms, timelines, and fee schedules.
  • Case management and docketing software proficiency (experience with legal matter management systems, e.g., Legal Files, iManage/NetDocuments integration, or proprietary CMS platforms).
  • Advanced Microsoft Office skills: Word (styles, templates, table of authorities), Excel (pivot tables, v-lookups for tracking fees and budgets), and Outlook (shared calendars, meeting coordination).
  • Electronic filing and service experience, including use of e-filing portals, secure upload platforms, and e-service solutions; comfortable with PDF tools and redaction (Adobe Acrobat).
  • Document management and production skills: Bates-stamping, redaction, preparing native and PDF productions, creating privilege logs and indexing exhibits.
  • Hearing logistics management including AV/video conferencing platforms (Zoom, BlueJeans, CourtroomConnect), and experience coordinating remote or hybrid hearings.
  • Billing and fee reconciliation skills; familiarity with tracking arbitration-related costs and preparing vendor/expense reconciliations.
  • Transcript handling: ordering, indexing, and working with court reporters and transcripts vendors to obtain and verify official records.
  • Strong written communication skills for drafting procedural correspondence, hearing notices, and formal submissions to tribunals.
  • Data reporting and metrics generation from case systems for caseload analysis, KPI dashboards, and budget forecasting.
  • Basic knowledge of eDiscovery workflows and collaboration with litigation support teams for productions.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and high level of accuracy under tight deadlines.
  • Superior organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple arbitration matters and shifting priorities simultaneously.
  • Strong client-service orientation and professional demeanor when interacting with partners, clients, arbitrators and external counsel.
  • Excellent verbal communication and stakeholder management skills; clear, concise and proactive in status updates.
  • Sound judgment and problem-solving skills: able to triage scheduling conflicts, last-minute filing issues and procedural questions independently.
  • Confidentiality and discretion in handling sensitive case materials and privileged communications.
  • Team player mindset, collaborative approach to cross-functional work with attorneys, paralegals, finance and vendor teams.
  • Adaptability and comfort with changing forum rules, technology tools and process improvements.
  • Time management and prioritization capability to meet litigation and arbitration-driven turnaround times.
  • Training and mentoring aptitude to onboard and elevate junior administrative support.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate's degree or Paralegal Certificate; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience considered.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies, Legal Studies, Business Administration, or related field; formal paralegal certification or continuing legal education in ADR preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Paralegal Studies
  • Law / Pre-Law
  • Business Administration
  • Dispute Resolution / Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–6 years of administrative or paralegal experience supporting litigation, arbitration, or ADR matters.

Preferred:

  • 3–5 years of direct arbitration administration experience, including demonstrated familiarity with FINRA, AAA or JAMS procedures, e-filing, docket management and hearing coordination. Prior experience in law firms, financial services, insurance or corporate legal departments that handle arbitration preferred.
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