The U.S. Supreme Court has shown an interest in a group long-term disability insurance discretionary clause case.
The court has asked Paul Clement, the solicitor general of the United States, to file a brief expressing his views on the case, MetLife et al. vs. Wanda Glenn.
The MetLife case hinges on questions about the procedures courts should follow when reviewing disputes involving insurance contracts that give administrators broad discretion over interpreting policy terms and reviewing claims.
The solicitor general is the U.S. Justice Department official who represents the United States in cases before the Supreme Court.
A representative for MetLife Inc., New York, declined to comment on the MetLife case.
At least 4 justices must support a motion for a "call for the views of the solicitor general" before the court will issue a call.
The Supreme Court issues calls to the solicitor general for only about 10 to 20 cases per year, and a call often gives the parties involved in a case a chance to explain their positions to the staffers who are helping to develop the solicitor general's response, according to a discussion of the practice written by lawyers at Morrison & Foerster L.L.P., San Francisco.
The MetLife case concerns Wanda Glenn, a former retail store sales manager who went on disability leave after she developed an enlarged heart muscle and her cardiologist said she could no longer handle the stress related to full-time work.
