Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)
Following what the Supreme Court is actually doing can be daunting. Reporting on the subject is often only done within the context of political narratives of the day -- and following the Court's decisions and reading every new case can be a non-starter. The purpose of this Podcast is to make it as easy as possible for members of the public to source information about what is happening at the Supreme Court. For that reason, we read every Opinion Syllabus without any commentary whatsoever. Further, there are no advertisements or sponsors. We call it "information sourcing," and we hope that the podcast is a useful resource for members of the public who want to understand the legal issues of the day, prospective law students who want to get to know legal language and understand good legal writing, and attorneys who can use the podcast to be better advocates for their clients.
*Note this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)
Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. (Arbitration / Civil Procedure)
In Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., the Supreme Court held that a case voluntarily dismissed without prejudice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a) qualifies as a "final proceeding" under Rule 60(b), allowing a district court to reopen the case. Gary Waetzig sued Halliburton for age discrimination but later dismissed his case without prejudice and pursued arbitration. After losing in arbitration, he sought to reopen his federal case and vacate the arbitration award under Rule 60(b). The district court granted his motion, but the Tenth Circuit reversed. Writing for a unanimous Court, Justice Alito explained that the text, context, and history of Rule 60(b) support treating a voluntary dismissal as final for purposes of post-judgment relief. The ruling clarifies that Rule 60(b) relief is discretionary and distinct from appellate finality, ensuring courts retain flexibility to revisit cases when necessary. The Court reverses and remands for further proceedings.
Justice Alito delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.
Read by RJ Dieken.
