Arbitration 101 eCourse

Arbitration clauses are ubiquitous in consumer contracts. While fighting arbitration is the ideal route, taking a case in arbitration is increasingly necessary in auto, solar, FCRA, EFTA and other consumer cases. Getting up to speed in arbitration skills is no longer a nice-to-have skillset but a must-have skillset for running a successful consumer law practice.
The Arbitration101 eCourse gives you the knowledge, skills and strategies to make arbitration part of your practice.

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What You Will Learn:
• What cases and clients to bring in arbitration
• How to respond to disputes over pre-arbitration documents and discovery
• How to prepare for the pre-hearing conference to ensure that you obtain the discovery necessary to prevail
• How to adapt courtroom trial skills to the arbitration trial
• How to handle fee petitions and other post-trial challenges

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What the eCourse includes:
• Five live sessions (all sessions will be recorded for future viewing). All sessions will be 1.5 hours and will be interactive and include at least 30 minutes for discussion.
• Seven webinars on- demand
• Additional instructional materials, including handouts and readings

Registrants will be eligible to receive up to 13.5 CLEs for the eCourse.

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Syllabus

Winning Before You File: Selecting the Right Cases, Forum, and Arbitrators
Live Session: July 7, 2026 1 – 2:30 pm ET

Learn how to identify the cases and clients best suited for arbitration, decide whether to file in court or arbitration first, and strategically navigate arbitrator selection—including strike lists, ranking choices, and objections to panel appointments—to position your case for success from the outset.

Speakers: Jared Faber, David Marco and Larry Smith

 

Starting Strong: Drafting Demands and Navigating Early Disputes in Consumer Arbitration
July 15, 2026 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET

Learn how to strategically launch a consumer arbitration case—from drafting effective complaints and arbitration demands to deciding whether to send a demand letter first. Explore how to set the right demand amount and how to respond to the disputes that often arise immediately after filing, including jurisdictional challenges, delegation arguments, and company delay tactics.

Speakers:

Tashia Zeigler and Dawn McGraw

 

Discovery That Wins: Strategic Evidence-Building in Arbitration

Date: July 20, 2026 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET

Gain practical strategies to maximize discovery in arbitration by navigating limited procedures, leveraging pre-hearing advocacy, and using tools like targeted document requests and third-party subpoenas. Participants will learn how to shape the pre-hearing conference, persuade arbitrators to grant necessary discovery, and build a compelling evidentiary record—even within constrained discovery frameworks—to position their case for success.

Speakers

Sparky Abraham and Matthew Osborne

 

Winning After the Award: Fees, Final Briefing, and Post-Arbitration Challenges

Date: August 11, 2026 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET

Learn to navigate the critical post-arbitration phase, including crafting effective post-hearing submissions, strategically justifying attorney’s fees, and managing the timeline for fee briefing. Participants will learn how to prepare persuasive witness summaries and legal conclusions, and how to handle confirmation and appeal proceedings to protect and enforce favorable awards—or challenge adverse ones.

Speakers:

Erika Heath and Raina Bayas

 

Adapting Trial Skills for Arbitration Success
Date: August 20, 2026 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. ET

Arbitration isn’t just a streamlined trial—it demands a different approach to persuasion, presentation, and storytelling. This session shows you how to translate core trial skills into an arbitration setting, where the rules are looser, the audience is different, and efficiency matters. Learn how to craft compelling opening statements, conduct effective direct and cross examinations, and deliver persuasive closings tailored to arbitrators. The program will also focus on shaping and telling your client’s story in a way that resonates in a less formal—but no less decisive—forum. Walk away with practical techniques to advocate confidently and effectively in arbitration.

Speaker: Ron Wilcox

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Speakers

Sparky Abraham is a former legal aid and government lawyer. He now has a solo practice called Jubilee Legal based in Oxnard, California.

Raina Bayas is a seasoned litigator and CEO of The Bayas Firm, PLLC, a consumer protection firm focused on Lemon Law, Auto Fraud, Diminished Value Claims. She started her litigation career at a nationwide law firm in California defending airbag and seatbelt manufacturers in product liability cases. She took the Colorado bar after volunteering for an organization that spoke to her soul, Rocky Mountain Victim’s Law Center.  She became a Project Director and eventually Legal Director. In 2013, she became a Deputy District Attorney in Boulder, County. During her five year career there, she became a part of the Consumer Protection Division, and prosecuted cases against at-risk individuals and white collar crimes. In late 2021, she created The Bayas Firm, PLLC. Raina is the Colorado Chair for NACA.

Jarrett Faber is an Attorney at Kneupper & Covey, P.C. Jarrett concentrates his practice on representing consumers in litigation against solar lenders after their installers close or file for bankruptcy. Jarrett’s practice is almost exclusively arbitration-based. Jarrett is on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for the Dividend Solar Finance, LLC and Fifth Third Bank Sales and Lending Practices Multi-District Litigation.

Erika Heath fights for economic justice on behalf of consumers and employees, with a particular focus on erroneous credit/background reports, unlawful debt collection practices, bank fraud, ID theft, and other unfair trade practices. She is currently Of Counsel to Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C., and a Lecturer at Berkeley Law.  

David Marco is one of the founding partners of SmithMarco, P.C. He currently represents consumers in individual and class action cases arising out of the EFTA, the FCRA, the FDCPA and other consumer-related statutes. David has arbitrated hundreds of cases, and tried countless cases to verdict, including an approximately $250,000 arbitration award against Citibank for violating the Electronic Fund Transfer Act.

Matt Osborne practices in Northglenn, CO. His practice focuses on FCRA, auto fraud, and bad faith insurance. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he served five years in the Navy. Matt went to law school at Michigan State. He is married with four kids. His main hobby is suing big corporations.

Larry P. Smith is a consumer attorney, handling matters involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Electronic Funds Transfers Act, as well as state consumer fraud/UDAP matters for over 18 years. He is the Managing Partner at SmithMarco, P.C. Mr. Smith has tried dozens of consumer rights cases to verdict in the state and federal courts of Illinois, Georgia and Wisconsin and has arbitrated over 700 cases.

Dawn McCraw is passionate about consumer rights and the increasing need for consumers to fight inaccurate and damaging credit reporting and illegal debt collection. Her experience in credit and debt goes back more than fifteen years when she co-owned a company which helped consumers with credit and debt issues. Dawn has acted as the lead attorney in hundreds of FCRA cases and is currently Senior Counsel at the Consumer Justice Law Firm.

Ronald Wilcox has been a consumer protection attorney since 1995, with an office in San Jose. Ron is a graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College and has tried consumer protection cases in federal and state court, as well as JAMS and AAA. He is a member of the CAOC, CAALA, and NACBA. He has presented webinars and spoken at national conferences on consumer law and arbitration. He was awarded Santa Clara University’s Community Law Center’s Community Service Award. Ron is the author of “Conducting Individual Arbitrations” in NCLC’s Consumer Arbitration Agreements.

Tashia Zeigler is a passionate attorney with a remarkable dedication to consumer law. With almost two decades of experience, Tashia tirelessly advocates for consumers, protecting their rights against corporate giants, as well as local businesses. Combining legal acumen with a heart for those she represents, Tashia remains steadfast in her pursuit of fairness, helping clients secure awards and judgments in cases involving the Georgia Lemon Law and Georgia’s Uniform Commercial Code. Tashia began her legal career with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection. She is the former Director of the Lemon Law and Dispute Resolution with the Georgia Department of Law. She is the former principal of The Zeigler Firm where she focused on representing consumers. She also served as the first Statewide Supervising Attorney for Georgia Legal Services Program.