Northcross v. Board of Education of the Memphis City Schools
412 U.S. 427 · Decided June 4, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Northcross v. Board of Education of the Memphis City Schools was decided on June 4, 1973 unanimously (8–0). The Court vacated 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 “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses” in the Attorneys area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 412 U.S. 427 · 93 S. Ct. 2201 · 37 L. Ed. 2d 48 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 61
- Docket number
- 72-1164
- Decided
- June 4, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- 20 U.S.C. § 1617
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- 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 | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
Northcross et al. v. Board of Education of the Memphis City Schools et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-134, docket 1972-134-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Hall v. Cole
- Bradley v. School Board of the City of Richmond
- F. D. Rich Co., Inc. v. United States for the Use of Industrial Lumber Co., Inc.
- Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. v. Wilderness Society
- Perkins v. Standard Oil Co. of California
- Mills v. Electric Auto-Lite Co.
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
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