The Art of Arbitration

Not correctly filling out a form, or failing to include the necessary documents to support a claim, can be a fatal mistake in arbitration. On that basis, a panel can reject your claim without even considering the merits of your allegation.

One option for investors who can't find lawyers to represent them and don't feel comfortable doing it themselves is to seek out a law school clinic like the one at Brooklyn Law School. But here again, small investors may find slim pickings. That's because only a handful of law schools currently offer clinical programs to handle securities arbitration claims, and most programs can handle no more than a few dozen cases in a year.

"We've had well over 100 calls this year," said Jill Gross, director of the securities arbitration clinic at Pace University School of Law, which is well ahead of last year's pace. "But we have not filed more claims because we have limited resources."

Another place to turn for help is the local bar association in your city or state. Many bar associations can refer you to lawyers who specialize in representing small investors.

For more information on securities arbitrations, visit these Web sites:

http://www.nasdadr.com/default.asp

http://www.sec.gov/answers/arbproc.htm

http://www.sec.gov/answers/arbclin.htm

http://www.piaba.org/informed_investors_03.asp

http://www.lexisone.com/legalresearch/legalguide/practice_areas/adr_arbitration_mediation.htm

http://www.seclaw.com/centers/arbcent.shtml