The short answer is no, you don't need a lawyer in arbitration. However, the arbitration dispute resolution process is adversarial.FINRA provides the Discovery Guide for customer cases only, which outlines documents that the parties should exchange without arbitrator or staff intervention. Court for each civil complaint filed. The attorney filing a case should complete the form as follows: I.(a) Plaintiffs-Defendants. Pro Se: Refers to persons who present their own cases in court without a lawyer; from the Latin for "on one's own behalf. Arbitration is similar to going to court, but faster, cheaper and less complex than litigation. If the case settles, an arbitration will last around one year. Please note that the Court does not automatically set cases for final hearing, nor will the Court reach out to you to schedule a final hearing. In most cases, arbitration is a voluntary process.