2024 California Rules of Court
Standard 3. Application and effective date
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this standard and standard 8, these standards apply to all persons who are appointed to serve as neutral arbitrators on or after July 1, 2002, in any arbitration under an arbitration agreement, if:
(1) The arbitration agreement is subject to the provisions of title 9 of part III of the Code of Civil Procedure (commencing with section 1280); or
(2) The arbitration hearing is to be conducted in California.
(b) These standards do not apply to:
(1) Party arbitrators, as defined in these standards; or
(2) Any arbitrator serving in:
(A) An international arbitration proceeding subject to the provisions of title 9.3 of part III of the Code of Civil Procedure;
(B) A judicial arbitration proceeding subject to the provisions of chapter 2.5 of title 3 of part III of the Code of Civil Procedure;
(C) An attorney-client fee arbitration proceeding subject to the provisions of article 13 of chapter 4 of division 3 of the Business and Professions Code;
(D) An automobile warranty dispute resolution process certified under California Code of Regulations title 16, division 33.1 or an informal dispute settlement procedure under Code of Federal Regulations title 16, chapter 1, part 703;
(E) An arbitration of a workers' compensation dispute under Labor Code sections 5270 through 5277;
(F) An arbitration conducted by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board under Labor Code section 5308;
(G) An arbitration of a complaint filed against a contractor with the Contractors State License Board under Business and Professions Code sections 7085 through 7085.7;
(H) An arbitration conducted under or arising out of public or private sector labor-relations laws, regulations, charter provisions, ordinances, statutes, or agreements; or
(I) An arbitration proceeding governed by rules adopted by a securities self-regulatory organization and approved by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission under federal law.
(Subd (b) amended effective July 1, 2014.)
(c) The following persons are not subject to the standards or to specific amendments to the standards in certain arbitrations:
(1) Persons who are serving in arbitrations in which they were appointed to serve as arbitrators before July 1, 2002, are not subject to these standards in those arbitrations.
(2) Persons who are serving in arbitrations in which they were appointed to serve as arbitrators before January 1, 2003, are not subject to standard 8 in those arbitrations.
(3) Persons who are serving in arbitrations in which they were appointed to serve as arbitrators before July 1, 2014, are not subject to the amendments to standards 2, 7, 8, 12, 16, and 17 that took effect July 1, 2014 in those arbitrations.
(Subd (c) amended effective July 1, 2014.)
Standard 3 amended effective July 1, 2014.
Comment to Standard 3
With the exception of standard 8 and the amendments to standards 2, 7, 8, 12, 16, and 17 that took effect July 1, 2014, these standards apply to all neutral arbitrators appointed on or after July 1, 2002, who meet the criteria of subdivision (a). Arbitration provider organizations, although not themselves subject to these standards, should be aware of them when performing administrative functions that involve arbitrators who are subject to these standards. A provider organization's policies and actions should facilitate, not impede, compliance with the standards by arbitrators who are affiliated with the provider organization.
Subdivision (b)(2)(I) is intended to implement the decisions of the California Supreme Court in Jevne v. Superior Court ((2005) 35 Cal.4th 935) and of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Credit Suisse First Boston Corp. v. Grunwald ((9th Cir. 2005) 400 F.3d 1119).