Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
438 U.S. 265 · Decided June 26, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke was decided on June 26, 1978 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part and reversed or vacated it in part. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Affirmative action” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 438 U.S. 265 · 98 S. Ct. 2733 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 750 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 5
- Docket number
- 76-811
- Decided
- June 26, 1978
- Argued
- October 12, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Affirmative action
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-147, docket 1977-147-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Affirmative action”
- Southeastern Community College v. Davis
- United Steelworkers of America v. Weber
- Fullilove v. Klutznick
- Minnick v. California Department of Corrections
- Weinberger v. Rossi
- Morton v. Mancari
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Foley v. Connelie
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Zablocki v. RedhailLaw held unconstitutional
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Illinois State Board of Elections v. Socialist Workers PartyLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Califano v. Jobst
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
- Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
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