Andrus v. Sierra Club
442 U.S. 347 · Decided June 11, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Andrus v. Sierra Club was decided on June 11, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 442 U.S. 347 · 99 S. Ct. 2335 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 943 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 37
- Docket number
- 78-625
- Decided
- June 11, 1979
- Argued
- April 18, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- National Environmental Policy Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Andrus, Secretary of the Interior, et al. v. Sierra Club et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-117, docket 1978-117-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Crown Simpson Pulp Co. v. Costle
- Costle v. Pacific Legal Foundation
- Andrus v. Idaho
- California v. United States
- United States v. New Mexico
- Andrus v. Utah
Cases on the same legal provision: National Environmental Policy Act
- Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council, Inc. v. Karlen
- Weinberger v. Catholic Action of Hawaii/peace Education Project
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. First Lincolnwood Corp.
- Marquette National Bank of Minneapolis v. First of Omaha Service Corp.
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Pennzoil Producing Co.
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. Daniel
- Director v. Rasmussen
- Butner v. United States
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