Rafeh-Rafie Ardestani v. Immigration and Naturalization Service
502 U.S. 129 · Decided December 10, 1991 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Rafeh-Rafie Ardestani v. Immigration and Naturalization Service was decided on December 10, 1991 by a vote of 6–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor 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
- 502 U.S. 129 · 112 S. Ct. 515 · 116 L. Ed. 2d 496 · 1991 U.S. LEXIS 7173
- Docket number
- 90-1141
- Decided
- December 10, 1991
- Argued
- October 8, 1991
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Equal Access to Justice Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority |
Did not participate: Clarence Thomas.
Full case caption
Rafeh-Rafie Ardestani v. Immigration and Naturalization Service
SCDB identifiers: case 1991-012, docket 1991-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- City of Burlington v. Ernest Dague, Sr.
- Kay v. Ehrler
- West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc. v. Robert Casey
- In re Berger
- Dale Farrar and Pat Smith v. William P. Hobby, Jr.
- Commissioner v. Marie Lucie Jean
Cases on the same legal provision: Equal Access to Justice Act
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