Committee for Public Education & Religious Liberty v. Nyquist

413 U.S. 756 · Decided June 25, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Committee for Public Education & Religious Liberty v. Nyquist was decided on June 25, 1973 by a vote of 6–3. 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 “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Committee for Public Education & Religious Liberty et al. v. Nyquist, Commissioner of Education of New York, et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1972-184, docket 1972-184-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)”

• Levitt v. Committee for Public Education & Religious LibertyLaw held unconstitutional
  413 U.S. 472Decided June 25, 19738–1Warren E. Burger
• Hunt v. McNair
  413 U.S. 734Decided June 25, 19736–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Sloan v. LemonLaw held unconstitutional
  413 U.S. 825Decided June 25, 19736–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Lemon v. Kurtzman
  411 U.S. 192Decided April 2, 19735–3Warren E. Burger
• Wheeler v. Barrera
  417 U.S. 402Decided June 10, 19748–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Meek v. PittengerLaw held unconstitutional
  421 U.S. 349Decided May 19, 19756–3Potter Stewart

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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)

• Walz v. Tax Commission of the City of New York
  397 U.S. 664Decided May 4, 19707–1Warren E. Burger
• Epperson v. ArkansasLaw held unconstitutional
  393 U.S. 97Decided November 17, 19689–0Abe Fortas
• Stone v. GrahamLaw held unconstitutional
  449 U.S. 39Decided November 17, 19805–4Per curiam
• Widmar v. Vincent
  454 U.S. 263Decided December 8, 19818–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Larson v. ValenteLaw held unconstitutional
  456 U.S. 228Decided April 21, 19825–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Chamberlin v. Dade County Board of Public InstructionLaw held unconstitutional
  377 U.S. 402Decided June 1, 19648–1Per curiam

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• California v. Larue
  409 U.S. 109Decided December 5, 19726–3William H. Rehnquist
• Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri
  410 U.S. 667Decided March 19, 19736–3Per curiam
• Lemon v. Kurtzman
  411 U.S. 192Decided April 2, 19735–3Warren E. Burger
• Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee
  412 U.S. 94Decided May 29, 19737–2Warren E. Burger
• Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
  413 U.S. 15Decided June 21, 19735–4Warren E. Burger
• Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton
  413 U.S. 49Decided June 21, 19735–4Warren E. Burger

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