Employment Rulings in the Fourth Circuit
The Fourth Circuit covers the federal courts in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The rulings below come from the circuit's court of appeals and the federal trial courts within it.
Of the 1,919 published rulings we track here (1973–2026), the breakdowns below show how they were decided. They describe published opinions only — not the odds of any particular situation.
How These Rulings Ended
Of the 1,919 published rulings we track in the Fourth Circuit.
What Happens at Each Stage
A workplace lawsuit moves through stages, and a ruling can end it at any of them. Here is where the 1,893 rulings we could classify by stage were decided.
A higher court reviewing an earlier decision. Many published opinions come from this stage, after a lot has already happened in the case.
A ruling where the judge decides the case — or part of it — without a trial, because one side argues the key facts are not in dispute. For workers, getting past this step is often the biggest hurdle.
Of the 305 summary-judgment rulings here, 200 ended the case in the employer’s favor and 105 let the worker’s claims continue.
An early request — usually by the employer — to throw the case out before any evidence is gathered.
A judge or jury heard the evidence and reached a decision. Relatively few disputes get this far.
The two sides resolved the dispute by agreement, sometimes with court approval. Most settlements are private and never show up in published opinions.
A decision entered because one side did not respond to the case at all.
Procedural decisions and orders that do not fit the main stages above.
Top Claim Types
Top Employers
States in This Circuit
Browse rulings from courts in each state the Fourth Circuit covers.
Recent Rulings in the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Consol Energy, Inc.
Dragulescu
DOWCP
Thesis Painting, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board
Adair
OFEGLI
Baltimore/Washington Construction & Public Employee Laborer's District Council v. Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.
International Union v. Consol Energy, Inc.
Adarius Dennis v. Warden Cartledge
Brundle ex rel. Constellis Employee Stock Ownership Plan v. Wilmington Trust N.A.
International Union, United Mine Workers v. Monongalia County Coal Co.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union No. 639 v. Airgas, Inc.
Adams
Cummings v. National Labor Relations Board
Cummings v. International Union Security Police & Fire Professionals, Local 555
Annette Cummings v. International Union Security
Girma v. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Durham School Services LP v. General Drivers Warehousemen & Helpers Local Union No. 509
Len Stoler, Inc. v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Brown & Pipkins, LLC v. Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ
Adams
William Smith v. Department of Labor
Scott v. Maryland State Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation
Dragulescu
Consol Buchanan Mining Company v. Secretary of Labor
Consol Buchanan Mining Company, LLC v. Secretary of Labor
Jaradat
Adam Bickham v. Robert Stevenson
Palmetto Prince George Operating, LLC v. National Labor Relations Board
Horne
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Baltimore County
Melanie Lawson v. Union County Clerk of Court
Melanie Lawson v. Union County Clerk of Court
Steamfitters Local Union No. 602 of the United Ass'n of Journeymen v. Aleut Facilities Support Services, LLC
Shahnaz Poursaied v. EEOC
Barbara Curry v. Adam Steifer
Claytor
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Dimensions Healthcare System
Deltek, Inc. v. Department of Labor, Administrative Review Board
Transunion
Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 100 Washington, D.C. Area Pension Fund v. Western Surety Co.
National Labor Relations Board v. Bluefield Hospital Co.
Hinton
Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Co. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Maritime Autowash, Inc.
Chappell
Phillip Smith v. Union County Board of Education
Guertler
Pac Tell Group, Inc. v. NLRB
United States ex rel. Adams Steel, LLC v. Elkins Contractors, Inc.
Showing 1,051–1,100 of 1,919 rulings · Page 22 of 39
Browse Other Circuits
Explore employment rulings from the other federal circuits.
These figures summarize publicly available published court opinions only. Published opinions over-represent summary-judgment rulings (decisions made without a trial) and appeals, because those are the stages where judges most often write formal opinions. Most workplace disputes settle privately and never appear here at all. A ruling’s outcome reflects many case-specific factors and is not a prediction for any other situation. Read more about how we source and classify rulings.
Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of outcomes and case stages is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.