Reed v. Reed

404 U.S. 71 · Decided November 22, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Reed v. Reed was decided on November 22, 1971 unanimously (7–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sex discrimination (excluding employment)” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Reed v. Reed, Administrator

SCDB identifiers: case 1971-014, docket 1971-014-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Sex discrimination (excluding employment)”

• Stanley v. IllinoisLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 645Decided April 3, 19725–2Byron R. White
• Frontiero et Vir v. RichardsonLaw held unconstitutional
  411 U.S. 677Decided May 14, 19738–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Kahn v. Shevin
  416 U.S. 351Decided April 24, 19746–3William O. Douglas
• Schlesinger v. Ballard
  419 U.S. 498Decided January 15, 19755–4Potter Stewart
• Taylor v. LouisianaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  419 U.S. 522Decided January 21, 19758–1Byron R. White
• Weinberger v. WiesenfeldLaw held unconstitutional
  420 U.S. 636Decided March 19, 19758–0William J. Brennan Jr.

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)

• Mayer v. City of Chicago
  404 U.S. 189Decided December 13, 19717–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Britt v. North Carolina
  404 U.S. 226Decided December 13, 19715–2Thurgood Marshall
• Schilb v. Kuebel
  404 U.S. 357Decided December 20, 19714–3Harry A. Blackmun
• Connor v. Williams
  404 U.S. 549Decided January 24, 19729–0Per curiam
• Bullock v. CarterLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 134Decided February 24, 19727–0Warren E. Burger
• Dunn v. BlumsteinAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 330Decided March 21, 19726–1Thurgood Marshall

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Engelman v. Amos
  404 U.S. 23Decided November 9, 19717–0Per curiam
• Doherty v. United States
  404 U.S. 28Decided November 9, 19717–0Per curiam
• Schreiner v. United States
  404 U.S. 67Decided November 16, 19717–0Per curiam
• Richardson v. Belcher
  404 U.S. 78Decided November 22, 19714–3Potter Stewart
• Mayer v. City of Chicago
  404 U.S. 189Decided December 13, 19717–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Britt v. North Carolina
  404 U.S. 226Decided December 13, 19715–2Thurgood Marshall

See all

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