The wisdom of King Solomon fascinates me — for perhaps obvious reasons. When two women each claimed the same baby as her own, King Solomon decided to “split the baby,” a calculated threat that revealed the true mother.

Unfortunately, the wisdom of splitting the baby is scorned in international arbitration. Many believe arbitrators “split the baby” and give something to both sides, but a study by the American Arbitration Association counters this myth.

Perhaps arbitral tribunals should “split the baby” more often, not to split the relief between the parties, but to split the issues, using dispositive applications.