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USD Law Alum to Argue Largest Sex-Discrimination Case Before U.S. Supreme Court

University of San Diego School of Law alumnus Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., class of ’87, is scheduled to argue the largest sex-discrimination class-action lawsuit in U.S. history before the U.S. Supreme Court. The lawsuit, Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes et al, claims that Wal-Mart engaged in a pattern that paid women less than men and offered fewer opportunities for promotion. This case will mark Boutros’ first argument before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Boutrous has been Wal-Mart’s lead counsel on this case since it reached the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2004. Wal-mart is seeking to overturn the appellate court’s decision to grant class certification to the group of approximately 1.6 million current and former female employees.

Boutros, partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, has extensive experience representing other corporations and clients in both federal and state courts. Over the past 20 years, Boutrous has represented companies such as Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler, the Wall Street Journal and Time Inc. He is also one of the lead lawyers for the plaintiffs in the pending federal constitutional challenge to California’s ban on same sex marriage.

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