The case, Dukes vs. Walmart, could be used to set a new precedent for such litigation, which is one of the reasons many business groups have chimed in on the side of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has to like its chances. The Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts has generally been pro-business and hostile to the cause of workers. In 2009, it threw out on a minor technicality the compelling case of Lilly Ledbetter, who had fought Goodyear Tire over sexual harassment and discrimination for a decade.