Overview
With a looming shortage of qualified labor arbitrators, there is an urgent need to cultivate a new generation of professionals who understand the complexities of today’s workforce. The Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at Cornell ILR offers two unique training opportunities designed to meet this demand:
- Foundations of Labor Arbitration Course
- Labor Arbitrator Development Program – Cohort Four
Together, these programs provide emergent arbitrators with the essential training, practical skills, personalized mentoring, and hands-on experience needed to build a successful career in labor arbitration.
The programs offer:
- The opportunity to learn from world-class faculty in the field of labor/management arbitration
- Award writing instruction and feedback on draft awards
- Development of the arbitration process skills necessary to conduct quality hearings
- Instruction and individualized assistance in developing a conflict resolution career plan
- Instruction in contract interpretation, discipline and just cause, evidence, and ethics
Financing options are available. Please contact ilrcustomerservice@cornell.edu for more information.
Labor Arbitration Development Program - Cohort Four
Pre-Requisite:
Duration:
- 18-month hybrid learning opportunity
(Tentative Dates: July 2026- January 2028)
Delivery:
- Hybrid and In-Person
- Two 3-day sessions (NYC and/or DC)
Virtual Components:
- Regular virtual check-in discussions
- Asynchronous assignments
- Virtual class sessions
Individualized Support:
- One-on-one coaching sessions
- Mentoring from established arbitrators
- Business/career plan development
Shadowing Requirement:
- Shadow at least two prominent arbitrators
- Draft at least two parallel awards with feedback
Instruction Focus:
- Group and individualized instruction
- Reputation and practice building
- Advanced topics in labor arbitration
- Drafting multiple arbitration awards with feedback
Eligibility:
- Competitive application process (applications will be available in April 2026)
- Must have registered for and successfully completed the Foundations of Labor Arbitration course
Goal:
- Support individuals seeking to build or launch a full-time conflict resolution practice within 18 months
In the News
Testimonials
Before attending The Labor Arbitrator Development Program, I was struggling to become a Labor Arbitrator. In this Program, I was trained by the Nation’s leaders in the field of labor arbitration. Because of this educational experience, I have been able to successfully navigate the transition from advocate to neutral. Since completing the Program, I have been placed on several arbitration panels. I highly recommend the program.
–
Michael Eagleson
, 
Graduating from the Cornell University ILR School, Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution’s Labor Arbitrator Development Program enabled me to set aside my service as an advocate in the field of labor and employment law and take my post as a full-time neutral. Listing the same on my neutral resume provided the gravitas necessary to demonstrate my commitment as an arbitrator and mediator.
–
Julie Torrey, Esq.
, 
I was fortunate to be a member of the Scheinman Institute’s Labor Arbitrator Development Program Second Cohort and began taking classes in Fall 2011. The program was essential in helping me create a path to transition from advocacy to a full-time conflict resolution practice and in providing me access to training and mentors to prepare me for the role of labor arbitrator. In addition, the relationships developed with other cohort members, program faculty, and mentors were and continue to be invaluable.
–
Sarah Espinosa Miller
, 
