Bell v. New Jersey
461 U.S. 773 · Decided May 31, 1983 · 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
Bell v. New Jersey was decided on May 31, 1983 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Miscellaneous federalism” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 461 U.S. 773 · 103 S. Ct. 2187 · 76 L. Ed. 2d 312 · 1983 U.S. LEXIS 43
- Docket number
- 81-2125
- Decided
- May 31, 1983
- Argued
- April 18, 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
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Miscellaneous federalism
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Elementary and Secondary Education Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Bell, Secretary of Education v. New Jersey et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1982-091, docket 1982-091-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Miscellaneous federalism”
- Bennett v. New Jersey
- Bennett v. Kentucky Department of Education
- Watt v. Alaska
- West Virginia v. United States
- Oregon ex Rel. State Land Board v. Corvallis Sand & Gravel Co.Altered precedent
- Rudy Perpich v. Department of Defense
Cases on the same legal provision: Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- California ex Rel. State Lands Commission v. United States
- North Dakota v. United States
- Local 926 v. Jones
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
- Block v. North Dakota ex Rel. Board of University and School Lands
- Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. v. Arkansas Public Service Commission
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