Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe
401 U.S. 402 · Decided March 2, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe was decided on March 2, 1971 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Thurgood Marshall 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
- 401 U.S. 402 · 91 S. Ct. 814 · 28 L. Ed. 2d 136 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 96
- Docket number
- 1066
- Decided
- March 2, 1971
- Argued
- January 11, 1971
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: William O. Douglas.
Full case caption
Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc., et al. v. Volpe, Secretary of Transportation, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-055, docket 1970-055-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Ohio v. Wyandotte Chemicals Corp.
- United States v. District Court in and for the County of Eagle
- United States v. District Court in and for Water Division No. 5
- Hickel v. Oil Shale Corp.
- Sierra Club v. Morton
- Illinois v. City of MilwaukeeAltered precedent
Cases on the same legal provision: Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- National Labor Relations Board v. Wyman-Gordon Co.
- Bowman Transportation, Inc. v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc.
- International Telephone & Telegraph Corp. v. Local 134
- Dunlop v. Bachowski
- Consolo v. Federal Maritime Commission
- Califano v. Sanders
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Lines v. Frederick
- Hickel v. Oil Shale Corp.
- Atlantic City Electric Co. v. United States
- U.S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles
- Usner v. Luckenbach Overseas Corp.
- Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc.
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