The article examines the change of the status of the state arbitration tribunals determined by adoption of The USSR State Arbitration Act and other legal regulations. The issue of selection and education of cadres through mentoring programs, through building arbitrator candidates pool from consultants and legal advisers, through training at law departments of universities is considered. It is emphasized that all this helped stabilize situation with cadres of arbitrators. At the same time it is noted that the shortcoming of technical workers had a negative impact on the work of the state arbitration tribunals. The author also draws attention to insignificant influence of the Communist party bodies on the work of arbitration tribunals, which may be explained by a low number of the party members in courts. The contribution of the State arbitration to an explanation of norms and changes in the economic legislation, through political and economic education and legal propaganda is shown. The author analyzes the situation connected with the growing shadow economy of the region, with factory managers attempts to conceal disputable situations of labor contracts from arbitration courts. It is emphasized that in the mid-eighties, the arbitration courts of Western Siberia regions carried out compensatory function, making up for planned economy inconsistencies. It is noted that information delivered to the ministries and Soviet executive bodies by the arbitration courts I testified about deep crisis of the system and need for its transformation.