Rhodes v. Stewart
488 U.S. 1 · Decided October 17, 1988 · 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
Rhodes v. Stewart was decided on October 17, 1988 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. 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
- 488 U.S. 1 · 109 S. Ct. 202 · 102 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 4611
- Docket number
- 88-139
- Decided
- October 17, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Rhodes, James A., et al. v. Stewart, Larry
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-001, docket 1988-001-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Pierce v. Underwood
- Blanchard v. Bergeron
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- Otis R. Bowen v. Mary Alice Galbreath
- Sullivan v. Hudson
- Missouri v. Jenkins
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Blanchard v. Bergeron
- Texas State Teachers Association v. Garland Independent School District
- Sullivan v. Hudson
- Missouri v. Jenkins
- Independent Federation of Flight Attendants v. Zipes
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