Northern Pipeline Construction Co. v. Marathon Pipe Line Co.
458 U.S. 50 · Decided June 28, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Northern Pipeline Construction Co. v. Marathon Pipe Line Co. was decided on June 28, 1982 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Jurisdiction of federal district or territorial courts” in the Judicial Power area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 458 U.S. 50 · 102 S. Ct. 2858 · 73 L. Ed. 2d 598 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 143
- Docket number
- 81-150
- Decided
- June 28, 1982
- Argued
- April 27, 1982
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Article III, Section 1, Paragraph 2 (good behavior and compensation clause of federal judges)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Held unconstitutional
- An act of Congress
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence |
Full case caption
Northern Pipeline Construction Co. v. Marathon Pipe Line Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-148, docket 1981-148-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Jurisdiction of federal district or territorial courts”
- Florida Department of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc.
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals v. Feldman
- Franchise Tax Board of California v. Construction Laborers Vacation Trust for Southern California
- United Ass'n of Journeymen & Apprentices of Plumbing & Pipefitting Indus. v. United Ass'n of Journeymen & Apprentices
- National Farmers Union Insurance Cos. v. Crow Tribe of Indians
- Chapman v. Houston Welfare Rights Organization
Cases on the same legal provision: Article III, Section 1, Paragraph 2 (good behavior and compensation clause of federal judges)
- United States v. Terry J. Hatter, Jr.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Leeke v. Timmerman
- Fair Assessment in Real Estate Association, Inc. v. McNary
- Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno
- Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Inc.
- Princeton University v. Schmid
- Tully v. Mobil Oil Corp.
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