{"argument_date":"2002-10-09T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-10-09T00:00:00Z","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/2002/01-800.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Friedberg argued the firm pushed investors into arbitration.","Mr. Roberts argued the arbitrator should decide the timeliness issue.","Mr. Starr argued the contract determines who decides the issue."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-21"}]}],"caption":"Howsam v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.000165Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.000186Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Investors and a brokerage firm dispute who decides if a claim is time-barred.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-10-09T00:00:00Z","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/01-800.html","primary_docket":"01-800","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:48:24.555469Z","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 asks who decides if a claim is too old. The investors want a judge to decide. The firm wants an arbitrator to decide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 9, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The investors want a judge to decide if their claim is too old.","The firm wants an arbitrator to decide if the claim is too old."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The investors argue the judge must decide the timeliness issue.","The firm argues the arbitrator must decide the timeliness issue."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["The Chief Justice asked if the parties intended to arbitrate under specific rules."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-21"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute determines who controls the timeliness of investor claims. It affects the balance of power in financial arbitration."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"}]},{"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 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-21"}]}],"slug":"2002-01-800-howsam-v-dean-witter-reynolds-inc","term":"2002","title":"Who decides if a securities claim is too old?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 37-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 37-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 9-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 9-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-800.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-41"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}