Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
434 U.S. 100 · Decided December 5, 1977 · 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
Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith was decided on December 5, 1977 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, constitutional” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 434 U.S. 100 · 98 S. Ct. 327 · 54 L. Ed. 2d 324 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 156
- Docket number
- 76-1291
- Decided
- December 5, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Poverty law, constitutional
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-011, docket 1977-011-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Poverty law, constitutional”
- Califano v. Jobst
- Zablocki v. RedhailLaw held unconstitutional
- Califano v. Torres
- Cleland v. National College of Business
- Knebel v. Hein
- Califano v. Aznavorian
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- County Board of Arlington County v. Richards
- Foley v. Connelie
- School District of Omaha v. United States
- Brennan v. Armstrong
- Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman
- Maher v. Roe
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Califano v. Jobst
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
- Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
- Zablocki v. RedhailLaw held unconstitutional
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