Library of Congress v. Shaw
478 U.S. 310 · Decided July 1, 1986 · 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
Library of Congress v. Shaw was decided on July 1, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses” in the Attorneys area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 478 U.S. 310 · 106 S. Ct. 2957 · 92 L. Ed. 2d 250 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 128
- Docket number
- 85-54
- Decided
- July 1, 1986
- Argued
- February 24, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- 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 Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Library of Congress et al. v. Shaw
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-149, docket 1985-149-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Pennsylvania v. Delaware Valley Citizens' Council for Clean Air
- City of Riverside v. Rivera
- Evans v. Jeff D.
- North Carolina Department of Transportation v. Crest Street Community Council, Inc.
- Hewitt v. Helms
- Pennsylvania v. Delaware Valley Citizens' Council for Clean Air
Cases on the same legal provision: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Bazemore v. Friday
- Local 28 of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Local Number 93 v. City of Cleveland
- Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson
- Ansonia Board of Education v. Philbrook
- California Federal Savings & Loan Assn. v. Guerra
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Evans v. Jeff D.
- City of Riverside v. Rivera
- Pennsylvania v. Delaware Valley Citizens' Council for Clean Air
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