Marek v. Chesny
473 U.S. 1 · Decided June 27, 1985 · 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
Marek v. Chesny was decided on June 27, 1985 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger 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
- 473 U.S. 1 · 105 S. Ct. 3012 · 87 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 81
- Docket number
- 83-1437
- Decided
- June 27, 1985
- Argued
- December 5, 1984
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
- Type of law
- Court rules
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Marek et al. v. Chesny, Individually, and as Administrator of the Estate of Chesny
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-146, docket 1984-146-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
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Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Roger L. Spencer v. South Carolina Tax Commission
- Webb v. County Board of Education of Dyer County
- Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of OhioLaw held unconstitutional
- In re Snyder
- Kentucky v. Graham
- Walters v. National Association of Radiation Survivors
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