{"argument_date":"2001-10-01T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-10-01T00:00:00Z","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/2001/99-1786.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Taranto argued the money suit is outside ERISA's equitable relief section.","Mr. Wolfson stated this is the only mechanism to enforce a plan term.","Mr. Wolfson characterized this enforcement as equitable relief under ERISA."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 19-23"}]}],"caption":"Great-West Life & Annuity Ins. Co. v. Knudson","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.965802Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Great-West Life seeks a money judgment. Knudson argues this claim is legal, not equitable.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-10-01T00:00:00Z","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/99-1786.html","primary_docket":"99-1786","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:44:32.093759Z","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":["The case tests whether a specific money claim fits ERISA's equitable relief category."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 1, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Great-West wants the Court to classify its money claim as equitable relief.","Knudson wants the Court to classify the money claim as legal relief."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Great-West argues the claim is the only way to enforce plan terms.","Knudson argues the money suit does not request appropriate equitable relief."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked Mr. Taranto to cover a specific point before finishing."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 19-23"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute defines the scope of ERISA's equitable relief provision. It determines how plans enforce their terms. It shapes the boundary between legal and equitable claims."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"}]},{"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/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 19-23"}]}],"slug":"2001-99-1786-great-west-life-annuity-ins-co-v-knudson","term":"2001","title":"Does a money claim for plan benefits count as equitable relief under ERISA?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 5-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 5-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/99-1786.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-19"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}