Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Patricia Garrett
531 U.S. 356 · Decided February 21, 2001 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Patricia Garrett was decided on February 21, 2001 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “National supremacy, miscellaneous” in the Federalism area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 531 U.S. 356 · 121 S. Ct. 955 · 148 L. Ed. 2d 866 · 2001 U.S. LEXIS 1700
- Docket number
- 99-1240
- Decided
- February 21, 2001
- Argued
- October 11, 2000
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- National supremacy, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Eleventh Amendment
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- An act of Congress
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama, et Al., v. Patricia Garrett, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2000-022, docket 2000-022-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “National supremacy, miscellaneous”
- United States v. Antonio J. MorrisonLaw held unconstitutional
- Janet Reno v. Charlie Condon
- J. Daniel Kimel, Jr. v. Florida Board of RegentsLaw held unconstitutional
- Paul D. Lapides v. Board of Regents of the University System of GeorgiaAltered precedent
- Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank and United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
- College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense BoardAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Eleventh Amendment
- Federal Maritime Commission v. South Carolina State Ports Authority
- California and State Lands Commission v. Deep Sea Research, Inc.
- Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho, Etc.
- Regents of the University of California v. John Doe Etc.
- Northern Insurance Company of New York v. Chatham County
- Albert Hess and Charles F. Walsh v. Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Buckman Company v. Plaintiffs' Legal Committee
- Donna Rae Egelhoff v. Samantha Egelhoff
- Arkansas v. Kenneth Andrew Sullivan
- Lorillard Tobacco Company v. Thomas F. ReillyLaw held unconstitutional
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