Illinois v. City of Milwaukee
406 U.S. 91 · Decided April 24, 1972 · 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
Illinois v. City of Milwaukee was decided on April 24, 1972 unanimously (9–0). Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 406 U.S. 91 · 92 S. Ct. 1385 · 31 L. Ed. 2d 712 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 107
- Docket number
- 49 ORIG
- Decided
- April 24, 1972
- Argued
- February 29, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Original jurisdiction
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. § 1251
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Illinois v. City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-094, docket 1971-094-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Washington v. General Motors Corp.
- Sierra Club v. Morton
- Lake Carriers' Assn. v. Macmullan
- Askew v. American Waterways Operators, Inc.
- United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
- United States v. District Court in and for the County of Eagle
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. § 1251
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Superintendent of Insurance of New York v. Bankers Life & Casualty Co.
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. v. Nemitz
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- O'Keeffe v. Aerojet-General Shipyards, 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