Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
17-988	9th Cir.	Oct 29, 2018	Apr 24, 2019	5-4	Roberts	OT 2018

Holding: Under the Federal Arbitration Act, an ambiguous agreement cannot provide the necessary contractual basis for concluding that the parties agreed to submit to class arbitration.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 5-4, in an opinion by Chief Justice Roberts on April 24, 2019. Justice Thomas filed a concurring opinion. Justice Ginsburg filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Breyer and Sotomayor joined. Justices Breyer and Sotomayor filed dissenting opinions. Justice Kagan filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Ginsburg and Breyer joined, and in which Justice Sotomayor joined as to Part II.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Opinion analysis: The meaning of consent to class arbitration (Charlotte Garden, April 25, 2019)
OT2018 #5: "Arbitration Nation" (First Mondays, October 31, 2018)
Argument analysis: The familiar divide in arbitration cases re-emerges (Charlotte Garden, October 30, 2018)
Argument preview: How should courts decide if parties to an arbitration contract may aggregate their claims? (Charlotte Garden, October 22, 2018)
OT2017 #24: "Kudos To Whoever Did This" (First Mondays, May 7, 2018)
Justices add three new cases to next term's docket (Amy Howe, April 30, 2018)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
11/22/2017	Application (17A577) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 10, 2017 to January 10, 2018, submitted to Justice Kennedy.
11/28/2017	Application (17A577) granted by Justice Kennedy extending the time to file until January 10, 2018.
01/10/2018	Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 12, 2018)
02/06/2018	Motion to extend the time to file a response from February 12, 2018 to March 14, 2018, submitted to The Clerk.
02/08/2018	Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including March 14, 2018.
02/12/2018	Brief amicus curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States America filed.
03/14/2018	Brief of respondent Frank Varela in opposition filed.
03/28/2018	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/13/2018.
03/28/2018	Reply of petitioners Lamps Plus, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)
04/16/2018	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/20/2018.
04/23/2018	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/27/2018.
04/30/2018	Petition GRANTED.
06/04/2018	Motion for an extension of time to file the joint appendix and the opening briefs on the merits filed.
06/08/2018	Motion to extend the time to file the joint appendix the opening briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits is extended to and including July 9, 2018. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 30, 2018.
07/09/2018	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
07/09/2018	Brief of petitioners Lamps Plus, Inc., et al. filed.
07/13/2018	Brief amicus curiae of DRI–The Voice of the Defense Bar filed.
07/13/2018	Brief amicus curiae of New England Legal Foundation filed.
07/16/2018	Brief amicus curiae of Retail Litigation Center, Inc. filed.
07/16/2018	Brief amicus curiae of Center for Workplace Compliance filed.
07/16/2018	Brief amicus curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States America filed.
08/20/2018	SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, October 29 2018
08/30/2018	Brief of respondent Frank Varela filed.
09/06/2018	Brief amici curiae of Contract Law Scholars filed.
09/06/2018	Brief amicus curiae of American Association for Justice filed.
09/10/2018	Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 9th Circuit.
09/12/2018	CIRCULATED
10/01/2018	Reply of petitioners Lamps Plus, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)
10/29/2018	Argued. For petitioners: Andrew J. Pincus, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Michele M. Vercoski, Ontario, Cal.
04/24/2019	Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Roberts, C. J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a concurring opinion. Ginsburg, J. filed a dissenting opinion, in which Breyer and Sotomayor, JJ., joined. Breyer, J., and Sotomayor, J., filed dissenting opinions. Kagan, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Ginsburg and Breyer, JJ., joined, and in which Sotomayor, J., joined as to Part II.
05/28/2019	JUDGMENT ISSUED.