{"argument_date":"2001-02-27T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-02-27T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2000","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Cleek responded to remarks from other counsel.","Ms. Brinkmann argued the lower court rule contradicts statute text.","Mr. Arceneaux presented a hypothetical scenario for the Court.","Chief Justice Rehnquist closed the oral argument session."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-36"}]}],"caption":"Buckhannon Board & Care Home, Inc. v. West Virginia Dept. of Health and Human Resources","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:33.442465Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:33.445503Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"the sides that brought the case seek fees for winning a policy change without a judgment. the opposing sides deny fees without a formal court order.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-02-27T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2000","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/99-1848.html","primary_docket":"99-1848","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T18:04:57.989001Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["This case tests whether a party can win attorney fees after a court order changes a policy. The lower court denied fees because no judgment or consent decree existed. the sides that brought the case argue the catalyst theory allows fees for any effective change. the opposing sides argue fees require a formal court order."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 27, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-36"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case want fees for winning a policy change without a judgment.","the opposing sides want to deny fees without a formal court order."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case argue the catalyst theory allows fees for any effective change.","the opposing sides argue fees require a formal court order."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Does a court order that changes policy but lacks a judgment allow fee awards?"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-36"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute defines when lawyers can recover fees for winning policy changes. It affects the cost of enforcing civil rights laws. It shapes how agencies respond to legal challenges."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-36"}]}],"slug":"2000-99-1848-buckhannon-board-care-home-inc-v-west-virginia-dept-of-health-and-human-resource","term":"2000","title":"Does a court order that changes policy but lacks a judgment allow fee awards?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 22-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 22-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 5-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 31, lines 5-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-2","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-2"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 15-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1848.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 15-26"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}