Smith v. Spizzirri

The Court's opinion

Sotomayor, writing alone

Section 3 of the FAA requires a district court to stay a suit involving an arbitrable dispute when a party requests a stay, and the court cannot dismiss instead. The word shall creates an obligation impervious to judicial discretion, and stay carries its long-established meaning of a temporary suspension rather than a dismissal. Reading stay to permit dismissal conflicts with surrounding text that anticipates parties returning to federal court if arbitration fails, and any inherent authority to dismiss is overridden by the statute. The FAA's structure confirms this: Section 16 allows immediate appeal of a denial of arbitration but forbids immediate appeal of an order compelling it, and a dismissal would improperly trigger such an appeal. Staying rather than dismissing also fits the supervisory role the FAA envisions for courts assisting parties in arbitration.