Charles T. Robinson, Sr. v. Shell Oil Company
519 U.S. 337 · Decided February 18, 1997 · 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
Charles T. Robinson, Sr. v. Shell Oil Company was decided on February 18, 1997 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 519 U.S. 337 · 117 S. Ct. 843 · 136 L. Ed. 2d 808 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 690
- Docket number
- 95-1376
- Decided
- February 18, 1997
- Argued
- November 6, 1996
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
Charles T. Robinson, Sr. v. Shell Oil Company
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-021, docket 1996-021-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)”
- Darlene Walters v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, Inc.
- James O'Connor v. Consolidated Coin Caterers Corporation
- Dolores M. Oubre v. Entergy Operations, Inc.
- Gary M. McKnight v. General Motors Corporation
- Barbara Landgraf v. Usi Film Products
- Maurice Rivers and Robert C. Davison v. Roadway Express, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Kimberly B. Ellerth
- Beth Ann Faragher v. City of Boca Raton
- Togo D. West, Jr. v. Michael Gibson
- Teresa Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc.
- Clark County School District v. Shirley A. Breeden
- International Union v. Johnson Controls, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- United States Department of State v. Legal Assistance for Vietnamese Asylum Seekers, Inc.
- Vicky M. Lopez v. Monterey County
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Yueh-Shaio Yang
- In re Maria Luisa Costell Gaydos
- M. L. B. v. S. L. J.Law held unconstitutional
- Darlene Walters v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, Inc.
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