The following article first appeared in the Insights section of Littler Mendelson’s website. It is reposted here with permission.
Effective July 1, 2026, Connecticut Public Act 26-92 requires arbitrators in private arbitrations conducted in Connecticut to be Connecticut-admitted attorneys in good standing.
Importantly, the statute appears to apply not only to newly-filed arbitrations, but also to pending matters in which an evidentiary hearing had not commenced before July 1.
The act aligns with previous Connecticut regulations requiring admission to the state bar in order to appear in administrative proceedings before the Workers’ Compensation Commission, Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and other state administrative agencies.
Under the act, when an “agreement to arbitrate includes the method for selecting an arbitrator for an arbitration proceeding to be conducted in this state,” the arbitrator must be admitted—and a member in good standing—at the time of their appointment and throughout the duration of the proceeding.
The language of the act raises several questions which, as of now, remain unanswered.
The first is whether the act is intended to apply in the context of collective bargaining agreements. Many such agreements contain grievance procedures that include arbitration should the parties be unable to resolve a grievance internally.
Whether the statute applies to labor arbitrations arising under CBAs remains an open question.
Early indications from...
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