28 U.S.C. § 654
Section 654 · Arbitration
Current version, with additions and removals from the November 19, 1988 version.
(a) Filing and Effect of Arbitration Award.—An arbitration award made by an arbitrator under this chapter, along with proof of service of such award on the other party by the prevailing party or by the plaintiff, shall, promptly after the arbitration hearing is concluded, be filed with the clerk of the district court that referred the case to arbitration. Such award shall be entered as the judgment of the court after the time has expired for requesting a trial de novo under section 655. The judgment so entered shall be subject to the same provisions of law and shall have the same force and effect as a judgment of the court in a civil action, except that the judgment shall not be subject to review in any other court by appeal or otherwise.
(b) Sealing of Arbitration Award.—The district court shall provide by local rule that the contents of any arbitration award made under this chapter shall not be made known to any judge who might be assigned to the case—
(1) except as necessary for the court to determine whether to assess costs or attorney fees under section 655,
(2) until the district court has entered final judgment in the action or the action has been otherwise terminated, or
(3) except for purposes of preparing the report required by section 903(b) of the Judicial Improvements and Access to Justice Act.
(c) Taxation of Costs.—The district court may by rule allow for the inclusion of costs as provided in section 1920 of this title as a part of the arbitration award.
(a) Referral of Actions to Arbitration.—Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and except as provided in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 652 and subsection (d) of this section, a district court may allow the referral to arbitration of any civil action (including any adversary proceeding in bankruptcy) pending before it when the parties consent, except that referral to arbitration may not be made where—
(1) the action is based on an alleged violation of a right secured by the Constitution of the United States;
(2) jurisdiction is based in whole or in part on section 1343 of this title; or
(3) the relief sought consists of money damages in an amount greater than $150,000.
(b) Safeguards in Consent Cases.—Until such time as rules are adopted under chapter 131 of this title relating to procedures described in this subsection, the district court shall, by local rule adopted under section 2071(a), establish procedures to ensure that any civil action in which arbitration by consent is allowed under subsection (a)—
(1) consent to arbitration is freely and knowingly obtained; and
(2) no party or attorney is prejudiced for refusing to participate in arbitration.
(c) Presumptions.—For purposes of subsection (a)(3), a district court may presume damages are not in excess of $150,000 unless counsel certifies that damages exceed such amount.
(d) Existing Programs.—Nothing in this chapter is deemed to affect any program in which arbitration is conducted pursuant to section 1 title IX of the Judicial Improvements and Access to Justice Act (Public Law 100–702), as amended by section 1 of Public Law 105–53.