Universities Research Assn., Inc. v. Coutu
450 U.S. 754 · Decided April 6, 1981 · 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
Universities Research Assn., Inc. v. Coutu was decided on April 6, 1981 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Standing, private or implied cause of action” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 450 U.S. 754 · 101 S. Ct. 1451 · 67 L. Ed. 2d 662 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 2
- Docket number
- 78-1945
- Decided
- April 6, 1981
- Argued
- November 10, 1980
- 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
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Standing, private or implied cause of action
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- 40 U.S.C. § 276
- 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 Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Universities Research Assn., Inc. v. Coutu
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-067, docket 1980-067-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Standing, private or implied cause of action”
- California v. Sierra Club
- Merrill Lynch v. Curran
- Cannon v. University of Chicago
- Wright v. City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority
- Thompson v. Thompson
- Karahalios v. National Federation of Federal Employees
Cases on the same legal provision: 40 U.S.C. § 276
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Allied Chemical Corp. v. Daiflon, Inc.
- County of Imperial v. Munoz
- Pacileo v. Walker
- Vincent v. Texas
- Federal Trade Commission v. Standard Oil Company of California
- Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Risjord
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