Circuit City Stores, Inc. v. Adams

Saint Clair Adams (plaintiff), a Circuit City (defendant) salesman, sued Circuit City for employment discrimination in California state court despite an arbitration clause in his employment contract. Circuit City sought to compel arbitration under Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) § 2, while Adams argued his contract fell under FAA § 1's exemption for the employment contracts of "seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in ... commerce." The district court compelled arbitration, the court of appeals reversed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari to resolve a circuit split.