Docket Number: 98-436
Appealed From: Maine Supreme Court
Subjects: State court jurisdiction; overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.; sovereign immunity

At Issue: Whether state court must hear state employees' claim brought under Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions.

Decision: The court ruled that state employees cannot sue states for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

• The full text of the Alden v. Maine decision is available at the FindLaw Internet Legal Resources Web site.

• Full text of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 201) in the U.S. Code is available at the Web site for the U.S. House of Representatives' Office of the Law Revision Counsel. An overview of the law is on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Web site.

Sources: The Washington Post, Supreme Court, The United States Law Week (a Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. publication)