Califano v. Yamasaki

442 U.S. 682 · Decided June 20, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Califano v. Yamasaki was decided on June 20, 1979 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part and reversed or vacated it in part. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits” 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..

Full case caption

Califano, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare v. Yamasaki et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-132, docket 1978-132-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits”

• Alexander v. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
  441 U.S. 39Decided April 17, 19799–0Thurgood Marshall
• Miller v. Youakim
  440 U.S. 125Decided February 22, 19798–0Thurgood Marshall
• Quern v. Mandley
  436 U.S. 725Decided June 6, 19788–0Potter Stewart
• Schweiker v. Hansen
  450 U.S. 785Decided April 6, 19817–2Per curiam
• Beltran v. Myers
  451 U.S. 625Decided May 18, 19819–0Per curiam
• Batterton v. Francis
  432 U.S. 416Decided June 20, 19775–4Harry A. Blackmun

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Cases on the same legal provision: Social Security Act

• Califano v. Torres
  435 U.S. 1Decided February 27, 19787–2Per curiam
• Califano v. GoldfarbLaw held unconstitutional
  430 U.S. 199Decided March 2, 19775–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Mathews v. de Castro
  429 U.S. 181Decided December 13, 19769–0Potter Stewart
• Heckler v. Mathews
  465 U.S. 728Decided March 5, 19849–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Bowen v. Owens
  476 U.S. 340Decided May 19, 19866–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Bowen v. City of New York
  476 U.S. 467Decided June 2, 19869–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
  439 U.S. 24Decided November 13, 19785–4Per curiam
• Dougherty County v. White
  439 U.S. 32Decided November 28, 19785–4Thurgood Marshall
• Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
  439 U.S. 60Decided November 28, 19786–3William H. Rehnquist
• Califano v. Aznavorian
  439 U.S. 170Decided December 11, 19789–0Potter Stewart
• Lalli v. Lalli
  439 U.S. 259Decided December 11, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  439 U.S. 357Decided January 9, 19798–1Byron R. White

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