New Jersey Welfare Rights Organization v. Cahill
411 U.S. 619 · Decided May 7, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
New Jersey Welfare Rights Organization v. Cahill was decided on May 7, 1973 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of illegitimates” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 411 U.S. 619 · 93 S. Ct. 1700 · 36 L. Ed. 2d 543 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 77
- Docket number
- 72-6258
- Decided
- May 7, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of illegitimates
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| 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. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
New Jersey Welfare Rights Organization et al. v. Cahill, Governor of New Jersey, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-110, docket 1972-110-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of illegitimates”
- Linda R. S. v. Richard D.
- Gomez v. PerezLaw held unconstitutional
- Weber v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.Law held unconstitutional
- Jimenez v. WeinbergerLaw held unconstitutional
- Willis v. Prudential Insurance Company of America
- Labine v. Vincent
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Gaffney v. Cummings
- White v. RegesterLaw held unconstitutional
- Keyes v. School District No. 1
- San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez
- Salyer Land Co. v. Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District
- Associated Enterprises, Inc. v. Toltec Watershed Improvement District
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Philpott v. Essex County Welfare BoardLaw held unconstitutional
- District of Columbia v. Carter
- United States v. Kras
- Goosby v. Osser
- Gomez v. PerezLaw held unconstitutional
- Mahan v. HowellLaw held unconstitutional
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