Case Law Index
federal2011
Additional Highlights:Class ActionsTitle VIICivil Procedure
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
A proposed class of 1.5 million female Wal-Mart employees did not satisfy Rule 23(a)'s commonality requirement because there was no common question capable of resolving the case in one stroke.
Case Summary
Wal-Mart v. Dukes decertified the largest employment discrimination class action in history, holding that the proposed class of female Wal-Mart employees did not share a common question of law or fact because Wal-Mart's decentralized employment practices gave store managers discretion that precluded class treatment.