{"argument_date":"2003-04-22T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2003-04-22T00:00:00Z","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/2002/02-634.pdf","paragraphs":["Carter Phillips argued the Federal Arbitration Act makes arbitration a matter of consent.","Phillips claimed the South Carolina Supreme Court violated this core federal principle.","Ms. Pillard stated Green Tree initially asked the arbitrator to decide on class status.","Pillard argued parties can include clauses prohibiting class arbitration if they wish."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 29-33"}]}],"caption":"Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.079441Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.082397Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Green Tree Financial seeks to enforce a contract that bars class arbitration. Bazzle argues state law permits the class action despite the federal statute.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2003-04-22T00:00:00Z","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/02-634.html","primary_docket":"02-634","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:17:41.912981Z","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 dispute centers on whether the Federal Arbitration Act preempts state court rules that allow class arbitration. Green Tree Financial argues the federal law mandates individual arbitration. Bazzle contends state law supports the class proceeding."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 22, 2003."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 29-33"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Green Tree Financial wants the Court to reverse the state court decision and enforce the individual arbitration clause.","Bazzle wants the Court to affirm the state court decision and allow the class arbitration to continue."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Green Tree Financial argues the Federal Arbitration Act requires individual arbitration and preempts state law.","Bazzle argues state law permits class arbitration and the federal statute does not forbid it."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted after the arguments concluded."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 29-33"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case determines whether federal law forces individual arbitration or allows state courts to permit class claims. The outcome shapes how consumers and companies resolve disputes under arbitration agreements nationwide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"}]},{"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/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 29-33"}]}],"slug":"2002-02-634-green-tree-financial-corp-v-bazzle","term":"2002","title":"Can a state court override a federal arbitration agreement to allow class claims?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 30, lines 31-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 30, lines 31-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/02-634.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 5-27"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}