Fri v. Sierra Club
412 U.S. 541 · Decided June 11, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Fri v. Sierra Club was decided on June 11, 1973 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 412 U.S. 541 · 93 S. Ct. 2770 · 37 L. Ed. 2d 140 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 122
- Docket number
- 72-804
- Decided
- June 11, 1973
- Argued
- April 18, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Fri, Acting Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency v. Sierra Club et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-144, docket 1972-144-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- United States v. Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures
- United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
- Askew v. American Waterways Operators, Inc.
- Vermont v. New York
- Lake Carriers' Assn. v. Macmullan
- Illinois v. City of MilwaukeeAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Gottschalk v. Benson
- Evco v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- Union Oil Co. of California v. the San Jacinto
- Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland
- Heublein, Inc. v. South Carolina Tax Commission
- Ricci v. Chicago Mercantile Exchange
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