Correcting a Flaw in the Arbitration Fairness Act

The proposed Arbitration Fairness Act of 2013 will ban courts from enforcing arbitration agreements in the employment and consumer contexts. This law will protect America's employees and consumers by keeping the courthouse door open to critical civil rights, employment, and consumer protection litigation. However, the proposed Arbitration Fairness Act suffers from a subtle flaw: it is uncertain whether the law will apply to the states. This flaw, which arises from one of the greatest constitutional errors the Supreme Court has ever made, must be corrected in order to provide the broadest protection to millions of American employees and consumers, and to prevent years of needless litigation and confusion.