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5ComcastCorp.v.BehrendAnEchoofDukesByKennethG.ParkerandWilliamONeillTherecentUnitedStatesSupremeCourtdeci-sionComcastCorp.v.Behrend1canbede-scribedasanechoofthereverberationsfeltincourtspost-Wal-MartStoresInc.v.Dukes.2ThoughtheBehrendopiniondidnotreceivethesamepublicityasDukesclassactionliti-gantsshouldbeawareofitsimplications.TheDukesCourttoucheduponbutdidnotdecidewhetherexpertopinionsshouldbesub-jecttotheDaubertstandardattheclasscertifi-cationphase.3Thisissuecutsacrossmostclassactiondisciplinesbecauseplaintiffsfre-quentlyrelyonexperttestimonytosatisfytherequirementsofRule23.Butwhatkindofanalysisshouldacourtundertaketodeterminewhetheraclassshouldbecertifiedwhentheevidenceofdamagesisprimarilyorexclusive-lyexpert-generatedAndtowhatextentcanacourtentertainargu-mentspertinenttothemeritsofthecaseinthecourseofevaluatingwhethercertificationisappropriateThesearenotinsubstantialquestions.WhentheDukescourttouchedonthesepointstheopinionmandatedthatcourtsconductarigorousanalysisthatfrequentlywillentailsomeoverlapwiththemeritsoftheplaintiffsunderlyingclaimandsuggestedwith-outdecidingthatDaubertappliedattheclasscertificationstage.ShortlyafterDukestheNinthCircuitaddressedtheintersectionofDaubertandtherigorousanalysisstandardandconcludedthatwhileitwasappropriatetoapplyDaubertatthecertificationstageitwasinappropriatetolimitanalysissimplytoanexpertopinionsadmissibilityratherthanthefullbreadthoftheexpertanalysis.4TheEighthCircuitaddressedasimilarissueandrefusedtorequirethedefendantsrequestedfullandconclusiveDaubertinquiryattheclasscertificationstagebutdidapprovethedistrictcourtsfocusedDaubertinquiryconcerningtheexpertsareasofexper-tiseandreliabilityofanalysis.5TheBehrendCourtwassupposedtoprovideaworkableframeworkfortheDaubertrigorousanalysisintersectionbecauseitgrantedcertioraritoaddresswhetheranex-pertsmodelhadtobeadmissibleunderDaubertforpurposesofclasscertification.ContinuedonPage8NewsletterEditorsMatthewK.WegnerEditor-in-ChiefRhiannaS.HughesAssistantEditor