Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee Corp.
464 U.S. 238 · Decided January 11, 1984 · 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
Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee Corp. was decided on January 11, 1984 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Supreme Court jurisdiction on appeal from federal courts” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 464 U.S. 238 · 104 S. Ct. 615 · 78 L. Ed. 2d 443 · 1984 U.S. LEXIS 13
- Docket number
- 81-2159
- Decided
- January 11, 1984
- Argued
- October 4, 1983
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. § 1254
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Silkwood, Administrator of the Estate of Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee Corp. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1983-016, docket 1983-016-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Supreme Court jurisdiction on appeal from federal courts”
- Heckler v. Edwards
- Escambia County v. McMillan
- Hopfmann v. Connolly
- Mobay Chemical Corp. v. Costle
- Carey v. Wynn
- Butler v. Dexter
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. § 1254
- Ohio Civil Rights Commission v. Dayton Christian Schools, Inc.
- California Coastal Commission v. Granite Rock Co.
- Arnold F. Hohn v. United StatesAltered precedent
- International Union v. Scofield
- United Gas Pipe Line Co. v. Ideal Cement Co.
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Iron Arrow Honor Society v. Heckler
- United States v. Mendoza
- United States v. Stauffer Chemical Co.
- Flanagan v. United States
- Colorado v. Nunez
- South Carolina v. Regan
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