United States v. Paradise
480 U.S. 149 · Decided February 25, 1987 · 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
United States v. Paradise was decided on February 25, 1987 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan 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
- 480 U.S. 149 · 107 S. Ct. 1053 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 203 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 934
- Docket number
- 85-999
- Decided
- February 25, 1987
- Argued
- November 12, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- 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)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent |
Full case caption
United States v. Paradise et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-040, docket 1986-040-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Affirmative action”
- Johnson v. Transportation Agency
- Local 28 of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Local Number 93 v. City of Cleveland
- Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education
- City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- Martin v. Wilks
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- McCleskey v. Kemp
- Posadas de Puerto Rico Associates v. Tourism Company of Puerto Rico
- Davis v. Bandemer
- Attorney General of New York v. Soto-LopezLaw held unconstitutional
- Reed v. Campbell
- Batson v. KentuckyAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Ansonia Board of Education v. Philbrook
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Hector
- Munro v. Socialist Workers Party
- Tashjian v. Republican Party of ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
- California Federal Savings & Loan Assn. v. Guerra
- City of Pleasant Grove v. United States
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