The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Smith v. Spizzirri clarifies how courts should handle lawsuits in matters that are subject to mandatory arbitration. Under Section 3 of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), if any lawsuit involving an issue covered by a written arbitration agreement is brought in a U.S. court, the court must, upon request by one of the parties, stay the trial until the arbitration is completed. In Spizzirri, the high court held that
Read More... →The Supreme Court unanimously vacated a decision that requires discriminated employees to demonstrate a “materially significant” disadvantage for discrimination claims. The Court held that employees, under Title VII of the Civil Human Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), must only show some harm with respect to “an identifiable term or condition of their employment”, but that harm need not be significant. The Supreme Court’s decision stems from Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, Missouri, a lawsuit brought by
Read More... →