{"argument_date":"2003-02-25T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2003-02-25T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2002","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Seymour argued that the four doctors are not employees because they own the clinic.","Mr. Gornstein argued that the EEOC guidance determines whether directors are employees.","chief_justice_rehnquist_asked_about_common_law_rules_for_corporate_directors."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 21-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 43, lines 21-22"}]}],"caption":"Clackamas Gastroenterology Associates, P. C. v. Wells","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.332224Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether doctors who own and manage their clinic qualify as employees under federal disability law.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2003-02-25T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2002","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/01-1435.html","primary_docket":"01-1435","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:29:07.493823Z","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 the definition of an employee under the Americans With Disabilities Act. It asks if professional partners who own a business are employees of that business."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 25, 2003."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-8"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case wants the Court to rule that shareholder-directors are not employees.","the opposing side wants the Court to rule that shareholder-directors are employees."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues that owners who manage their own clinic are not employees.","the opposing side argues that the EEOC guidance controls the employee status determination."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked about the common law rule for corporate directors."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 21-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 43, lines 21-22"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines who qualifies as an employee under federal disability law. It determines the scope of workplace protections for business owners."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"}]},{"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 3-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 21-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 43, lines 21-22"}]}],"slug":"2002-01-1435-clackamas-gastroenterology-associates-p-c-v-wells","term":"2002","title":"Do shareholder-directors count as employees under the ADA?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 11-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 11-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1435.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 9-18"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}