Board of Education v. Pico
457 U.S. 853 · Decided June 25, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Board of Education v. Pico was decided on June 25, 1982 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 “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 457 U.S. 853 · 102 S. Ct. 2799 · 73 L. Ed. 2d 435 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 8
- Docket number
- 80-2043
- Decided
- June 25, 1982
- Argued
- March 2, 1982
- Court era
- Burger 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)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- 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 | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26, et al. v. Pico, by His Next Friend Pico, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-143, docket 1981-143-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of NorfolkLaw held unconstitutional
- Brown v. HartlageLaw held unconstitutional
- Village of Hoffman Estates v. the Flipside
- Perry Education Association v. Perry Local Educators' Association
- Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Connick v. Myers
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Clements v. Fashing
- New York v. Ferber
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Claiborne Hardware Co.
- In re R. M. J.Law held unconstitutional
- Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
- California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Federal Election Commission v. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
- Widmar v. Vincent
- Citizens Against Rent Control/coalition for Fair Housing v. City of BerkeleyLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Lee
- Village of Hoffman Estates v. the Flipside
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