International Paper Co. v. Ouellette
479 U.S. 481 · Decided January 21, 1987 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
International Paper Co. v. Ouellette was decided on January 21, 1987 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 479 U.S. 481 · 107 S. Ct. 805 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 883 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 416
- Docket number
- 85-1233
- Decided
- January 21, 1987
- Argued
- November 4, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Full case caption
International Paper Co. v. Ouellette et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-027, docket 1986-027-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Fort Halifax Packing Co., Inc. v. Coyne
- Perry v. Thomas
- Baker v. General Motors Corp.
- Wardair Canada Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue
- Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg
- Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
Cases on the same legal provision: Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
- Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc.
- United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc.
- Chemical Manufacturers Association v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
- Weinberger v. Romero-Barcelo
- Arkansas v. Oklahoma
- United States Department of Energy v. Ohio
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Rose v. Arkansas State PoliceLaw held unconstitutional
- West Virginia v. United States
- Pilot Life Insurance Co. v. Dedeaux
- Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Taylor
- Rose v. Rose
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers v. Hechler
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