Janet Reno v. Bossier Parish School Board
520 U.S. 471 · Decided May 12, 1997 · 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
Janet Reno v. Bossier Parish School Board was decided on May 12, 1997 by a vote of 7–2. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 520 U.S. 471 · 117 S. Ct. 1491 · 137 L. Ed. 2d 730 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 2845
- Docket number
- 95-1455
- Decided
- May 12, 1997
- Argued
- December 9, 1996
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Concurrence | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Janet Reno, Attorney General v. Bossier Parish School Board et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-051, docket 1996-051-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments”
- Lucious Abrams, Jr., G. L. Avery v. Davida Johnson
- Thomas Young v. Kirk Fordice
- B. C. Foreman v. Dallas County
- Vicky M. Lopez v. Monterey County
- City of Monroe v. United States
- Fortis Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia
Cases on the same legal provision: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- George Voinovich v. Barney Quilter
- Joan Growe v. James Emison
- Rick Perry v. Shannon Perez
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- United States Department of State v. Legal Assistance for Vietnamese Asylum Seekers, Inc.
- Vicky M. Lopez v. Monterey County
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Yueh-Shaio Yang
- In re Maria Luisa Costell Gaydos
- M. L. B. v. S. L. J.Law held unconstitutional
- Darlene Walters v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, 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