{"argument_date":"2006-01-11T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2006-01-11T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2005","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Joseffer argued the rule depends on interpreting congressional intent in the statutes.","Mr. Prendergast disputed the claim that the plaintiff properly alleged the defendant was an employer.","source_ids"],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 1-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 1-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 11-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 49-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 49-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 29-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 39-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 39-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 19-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 35-41"}]}],"caption":"Arbaugh v. Y & H Corp.","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:28.878962Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether the 15-employee threshold defines court power or a legal element.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2006-01-11T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2005","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/04-944.html","primary_docket":"04-944","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T13:57:06.048288Z","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":["Arbaugh v. Y & H Corp. asks if the 15-employee rule limits federal court jurisdiction. The lower court treated this number as a jurisdictional bar. The parties disagree on whether this threshold defines court power or a claim element."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 11, 2006."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-9"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Arbaugh wants the Court to treat the 15-employee rule as a jurisdictional limit.","Y & H Corp. wants the Court to treat the 15-employee rule as a claim element."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Arbaugh argues the statute grants jurisdiction only to employers with 15 or more employees.","Y & H Corp. argues the employee count is a factual element of the discrimination claim."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Scalia asked why Congress would make a disadvantage jurisdictional rather than an element.","Chief Justice Roberts asked if the employee count determines whether a party is covered by the law at all."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 1-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 1-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 11-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 49-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 49-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 29-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 39-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 39-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 19-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 35-41"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case determines whether federal courts can dismiss discrimination claims based solely on employee count. It defines the scope of federal judicial power over Title VII disputes. It clarifies the procedural path for plaintiffs with smaller employers."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"}]},{"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 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 1-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 1-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 11-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 49-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 49-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 29-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 29-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 39-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 39-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 19-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 35-41"}]}],"slug":"2005-04-944-arbaugh-v-y-h-corp","term":"2005","title":"Does Title VII require 15 employees for federal court jurisdiction?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-944.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 11-11"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}