Today is the first Monday in October, the traditional start of the Supreme Court’s new term.  After a couple of years in which employment cases dominated the Court’s docket, this year is a very light one for human resource issues. The most interesting won’t be argued and decided until early next year: Lewis v. City of Chicago presents the question of exactly when the statute of limitations begins to run in a Title VII disparate impact case.

Other employment-related issues before the court present mostly technical questions:

Can parties be forced into class-wide arbitration where their individual arbitration clauses are silent on that issue? (Stolt-Nielsen S.A., et al. v. AnimalFeeds International Corp)

Is a False Claims Act suit  barred by disclosures in a state government report?  (Graham County Soil & Water v US ex rel. Wilson)

What is the proper scope of appellate review in an ERISA case involving deferral to the plan administrator?(Conkright v. Frommert)

What are the elements of a suit for tortious interference and the duty to arbitrate under Section 31 of the Labor Management Relations Act?  (Granite Rock Company v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters )

Can a Court sent aside a final arbitration award issued by the National Railroad Adjustment Board for alleged violations of due process?  (Union Pacific Railroad Company v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen General Committee of Adjustment, Central Region)