Wise v. Lipscomb
437 U.S. 535 · Decided June 22, 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
Wise v. Lipscomb was decided on June 22, 1978 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Reapportionment (other than Voting Rights Act plans)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 437 U.S. 535 · 98 S. Ct. 2493 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 411 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 120
- Docket number
- 77-529
- Decided
- June 22, 1978
- Argued
- April 26, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent |
Full case caption
Wise, Mayor of Dallas, et al. v. Lipscomb et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-130, docket 1977-130-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Reapportionment (other than Voting Rights Act plans)”
- Connor v. Coleman
- Connor v. Coleman
- Connor v. Finch
- Town of Lockport v. Citizens for Community Action at the Local Level, Inc.
- United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburgh, Inc. v. Carey
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
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