Taylor v. Sturgell, 553 U.S. 880 (2008), was a significant case in United States legal history dealing with the doctrine of res judicata, also known as claim preclusion. The case involved the question of whether a non-party to an earlier action could be bound by the judgment in that action if the non-party was virtually represented by a party to the earlier action. The Supreme Court held that a non-party could only be bound by the earlier judgment in limited circumstances, such as when the non-party had agreed to be bound, or when there was a close relationship between the non-party and a party to the earlier action. The decision clarified the scope of claim preclusion and established important limits on the ability of courts to give preclusive effect to earlier judgments involving non-parties. This ruling has had significant implications for the use of res judicata in federal courts and has been cited in numerous subsequent cases.