Employment Discrimination Law & Litigation 2026

JAMS neutral Hon. James "Jay" C. Francis IV (Ret.) will participate in the panel discussion, “Arbitration vs. Court – Different Approaches for Trying Employment Discrimination Claims” as part of the Practising Law Institute’s Employment Discrimination Law & Litigation 2026. Judge Francis’s panel will take place from 10:45am-12:00pm. You can find more information about the panel below:

“Arbitration vs. Court – Different Approaches for Trying Employment Discrimination Claims”
Monday, June 8 | 10:45am-12:00pm

This panel will explore the differences in all aspects of trying a case in court as opposed to trying the case before an employment discrimination arbitrator. Important aspects of trying the case in one forum vs. the other will be discussed by the panelists. This session will help participants to:

• Understand the typical differences in discovery rules
• Appreciate the differences in motion practice and the presentation of evidence
• Understand how the Rules of Evidence are applied before an arbitrator as opposed to a court
• Explore the differences in preserving a record (grounds for vacating an award v. grounds for appeal)
• Evaluate, with no jury instructions, other means of setting forth proof requirements—pre-trial briefs
• Compare the effectiveness of remote vs. in person hearings
• Explore how openings and closings may be different

Speakers:

• Hon. James (Jay) C. Francis IV (Ret.), JAMS
• Melissa C. Rodriguez, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
• Mariann Meier Wang, Wang Hecker LLP

Disclaimer: The content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you require legal or professional advice, please contact an attorney.