Lukhard v. Reed
481 U.S. 368 · Decided April 22, 1987 · 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
Lukhard v. Reed was decided on April 22, 1987 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 481 U.S. 368 · 107 S. Ct. 1807 · 95 L. Ed. 2d 328 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 1816
- Docket number
- 85-1358
- Decided
- April 22, 1987
- Argued
- January 14, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Aid to Families with Dependent Children (Social Security Act)
- 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 | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Lukhard, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Social Services v. Reed et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-081, docket 1986-081-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits”
- Bowen v. Yuckert
- Atkins v. Rivera
- Sandra Gardebring v. Kathryn Jenkins
- Connecticut Department of Income Maintenance v. Heckler
- Heckler v. Turner
- Sullivan v. Zebley
Cases on the same legal provision: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (Social Security Act)
- Bowen v. Gilliard
- Linda J. Blessing v. Cathy Freestone, Etc.
- Townsend v. SwankLaw held unconstitutional
- Dandridge v. Williams
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Ansonia Board of Education v. Philbrook
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Hector
- Munro v. Socialist Workers Party
- Tashjian v. Republican Party of ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
- California Federal Savings & Loan Assn. v. Guerra
- City of Pleasant Grove v. United States
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