The Court, Not the Arbitrator, Decides the Validity of an Agreement Containing an Arbitration Clause.

The article discusses the court case Sheppard v. J-M Manufacturing Co. concerning the role of the courts in determining the fate of arbitration clauses in situations where the validity of the underlying contract is under attack. Topics mentioned include the Federal Arbitration Act, the California Rules of Professional Conduct, and a challenge to the legality of an entire contract that contains an arbitration provision under California law.