• Murray v. Alaska Airlines, Inc. holds that collateral estoppel applies to the administrative findings of a federal agency when those findings were subject to objection and judicial review that was never pursued, resulting in a final nonappealable order based on those findings. The Court found that in a subsequent civil lawsuit, those administrative findings have an issue-preclusive effect against the claimant who failed to challenge those findings and allowed them to become a final order and also failed to take any steps to withdraw his administrative complaint. For more details about Murray, see the Civil Procedure/Evidence/Discovery update page.
  • Ruiz v. Podolsky holds that an arbitration agreement between a patient and treating physician extends to compel the heirs of that patient to arbitrate a wrongful death lawsuit when the agreement so extends by its own terms. The Court found that this result was compelled by C.C.P. § 1295, which by its terms intended to extend the arbitration of medical malpractice allegations to wrongful death claims. For more details about Ruiz, see the ADR update page.