Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

In 1988, the Supreme Court and Congress finally acted to resolve the interlocutory appeals issue- the Court, by overruling the EnelowEttelson doctrine, and Congress, by amending the Federal Arbitration Act to add a new section 15 relating to appeals. The new amendment provides for interlocutory appeals whenever a court prevents a matter from going to arbitration and instead orders litigation to proceed. Additionally, the amendment prohibits interlocutory appeals whenever a court orders arbitration to proceed in lieu of litigation.

The amendment brings about a rational and orderly solution, clarifying and simplifying the law relating to interlocutory appeals from arbitration orders and establishing certainty in an area of federal practice that, until now, has been governed by a patchwork set of rules.