Introduction

My testimony today addresses empirical evidence on two central issues arising out of debt collection arbitration: (1) how consumers fare, in particular relative to how consumers fare in similar cases in court; and (2) whether arbitration is biased in favor of repeat players - i.e., parties that appear more frequently in arbitration. Both critics and supporters of arbitration in consumer settings have come to recognize the importance of empirical evidence in making sound public policy decisions in the area. Indeed, Professor Peter B. Rutledge has recently written that "there ...