{"argument_date":"2002-01-15T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-01-15T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","paragraphs":["Ryan McCortney argued that paying back wages to an undocumented worker conflicts with immigration laws.","He stated that the worker was never legally present or authorized to work in the country.","He cited violations of federal statutes regarding illegal entry and fraudulent employment documents.","The NLRB argued that undocumented workers are entitled to workers' compensation and tort damages in state courts."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-29"}]}],"caption":"Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. NLRB","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.609912Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.643704Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether immigration laws bar an employer from paying back wages to a worker who lacked legal status.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-01-15T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/00-1595.html","primary_docket":"00-1595","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T22:42:17.143816Z","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":["Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. NLRB"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 15, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Hoffman Plastic Compounds wants the back pay award canceled because the worker lacked legal status.","The NLRB wants the back pay award to stand to protect the worker's labor rights."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Hoffman argues that paying back wages conflicts with federal immigration laws and public policy.","The NLRB argues that immigration status does not void the right to recover lost wages."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the INS opposed paying illegal aliens money they unlawfully earned.","Justice Scalia questioned whether state courts award tort damages to undocumented workers."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the financial liability of employers who hire undocumented workers. It clarifies whether federal immigration law overrides labor protections for unauthorized employees. The outcome shapes workplace enforcement and compensation standards nationwide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"}]},{"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 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 27-29"}]}],"slug":"2001-00-1595-hoffman-plastic-compounds-inc-v-nlrb","term":"2001","title":"Can an employer deny back pay to an undocumented worker?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 13, lines 35-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 21-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 21-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1595.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-60"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}