Isaac Marcushamer of DGIM Law. Courtesy photo

Arbitration With Rabbis: A Litigator's Tale

I was shocked to learn that not only is there a robust and growing organic system of Jewish arbitral bodies, but they provide a true alternative to the court system. Indeed, there are professional advocates in the system (they look and sound like rabbis, and in fact, many of them are) who bridge the gap between secular and Jewish law.

March 22, 2024 at 11:08 AM

6 minute read

Board of Contributors

Isaac M. Marcushamer

My first experience before a Beth Din, literally a "House of Judgment," was a few years ago when I represented a majority owner who was seeking to oust the CEO and minority owner of a retail company. My engagement started like many others: the client called with the issue, I reviewed the operating agreement, which provided for arbitration before the American Arbitration Association, and we sent a demand letter. After some of the usual letter writing back and forth with opposing counsel, I filed papers to start the arbitration. I told my client, "Buckle up; if everything goes right, we are looking at an eight- to 12-month process. We will have some discovery, depositions, some motion practice, and all of the other trappings of the adversarial American civil litigation system."