9th Circuit Certifies Gender Bias Suit Against Wal-Mart

Ropes & Gray partner Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, who leads the firm's Appellate and Supreme Court practice in Washington D.C., was quoted by The National Law Journal (April 27) regarding the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to certify a gender discrimination class action claim against retail giant Wal-Mart. In describing the split decision, Hallward-Driemeier said, "Not only was the 9th Circuit split along ideological lines, but the Roberts Court has shown a drive to tackle threshold questions of civil procedure that determine whether a case goes forward."

Regarding the possibility that this case will make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Hallward-Driemeier said, "The court obviously views itself as deciding the most important cases, so big cases like this grab their attention."