Karen Howsam, Etc. v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.
537 U.S. 79 · Decided December 10, 2002 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Karen Howsam, Etc. v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. was decided on December 10, 2002 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Arbitration (non-labor)” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 537 U.S. 79 · 123 S. Ct. 588 · 154 L. Ed. 2d 491 · 2002 U.S. LEXIS 9235
- Docket number
- 01-800
- Decided
- December 10, 2002
- Argued
- October 9, 2002
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Stephen G. Breyer
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Arbitration (non-labor)
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Sandra Day O'Connor.
Full case caption
Karen Howsam, Etc. v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 2002-009, docket 2002-009-01.
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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error