Alexander v. Louisiana

405 U.S. 625 · Decided April 3, 1972 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Alexander v. Louisiana was decided on April 3, 1972 unanimously (7–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Desegregation (general)” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr., William H. Rehnquist.

Full case caption

Alexander v. Louisiana

SCDB identifiers: case 1971-086, docket 1971-086-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Desegregation (general)”

• Moose Lodge No. 107 v. Irvis
  407 U.S. 163Decided June 12, 19726–3William H. Rehnquist
• Peters v. Kiff
  407 U.S. 493Decided June 22, 19726–3Thurgood Marshall
• Palmer v. Thompson
  403 U.S. 217Decided June 14, 19715–4Hugo L. Black
• Tillman v. Wheaton-Haven Recreation Assn., Inc.
  410 U.S. 431Decided February 27, 19739–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
  398 U.S. 144Decided June 1, 19705–2John M. Harlan II
• Mayor of Philadelphia v. Educational Equality League
  415 U.S. 605Decided March 25, 19745–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)

• Eisenstadt v. BairdLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 438Decided March 22, 19726–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Dunn v. BlumsteinAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 330Decided March 21, 19726–1Thurgood Marshall
• Weber v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.Law held unconstitutional
  406 U.S. 164Decided April 24, 19728–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Bullock v. CarterLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 134Decided February 24, 19727–0Warren E. Burger
• Jefferson v. Hackney
  406 U.S. 535Decided May 30, 19725–4William H. Rehnquist
• Jackson v. IndianaLaw held unconstitutional
  406 U.S. 715Decided June 7, 19727–0Harry A. Blackmun

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Engelman v. Amos
  404 U.S. 23Decided November 9, 19717–0Per curiam
• Doherty v. United States
  404 U.S. 28Decided November 9, 19717–0Per curiam
• Schreiner v. United States
  404 U.S. 67Decided November 16, 19717–0Per curiam
• Reed v. ReedLaw held unconstitutional
  404 U.S. 71Decided November 22, 19717–0Warren E. Burger
• Richardson v. Belcher
  404 U.S. 78Decided November 22, 19714–3Potter Stewart
• Mayer v. City of Chicago
  404 U.S. 189Decided December 13, 19717–0William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error