CaseTrail

Browder v. Director

434 U.S. 257 · Decided January 10, 1978 · 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

Browder v. Director was decided on January 10, 1978 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal rules of civil procedure” in the Judicial Power area.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
434 U.S. 257 · 98 S. Ct. 556 · 54 L. Ed. 2d 521 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 53
Docket number
76-5325
Decided
January 10, 1978
Argued
October 31, 1977
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
Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Opinion assigned by
Warren E. Burger
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Issue area
Judicial Power
Legal provision
Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
Type of law
Court rules
Decision direction (SCDB)
Liberal what this means

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Browder v. Director, Department of Corrections of Illinois

SCDB identifiers: case 1977-022, docket 1977-022-01.

Other cases on “Federal rules of civil procedure”

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure

Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)

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