Maher v. Gagne
448 U.S. 122 · Decided June 25, 1980 · 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
Maher v. Gagne was decided on June 25, 1980 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens 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
- 448 U.S. 122 · 100 S. Ct. 2570 · 65 L. Ed. 2d 653 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 143
- Docket number
- 78-1888
- Decided
- June 25, 1980
- Argued
- January 9, 1980
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Maher, Commissioner of Income Maintenance of Connecticut v. Gagne
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-142, docket 1979-142-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Roadway Express, Inc. v. Piper
- New York Gaslight Club, Inc. v. Carey
- Hanrahan v. Hampton
- Boeing Co. v. Van Gemert
- Hughes v. Rowe
- White v. New Hampshire Department of Employment Security
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Boeing Co. v. Van Gemert
- Hanrahan v. Hampton
- New York Gaslight Club, Inc. v. Carey
- Roadway Express, Inc. v. Piper
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