Davis v. Passman
442 U.S. 228 · Decided June 5, 1979 · 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
Davis v. Passman was decided on June 5, 1979 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sex discrimination in employment” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 442 U.S. 228 · 99 S. Ct. 2264 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 846 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 127
- Docket number
- 78-5072
- Decided
- June 5, 1979
- Argued
- February 27, 1979
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Sex discrimination in employment
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (equal protection)
- 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. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Davis v. Passman
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-112, docket 1978-112-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sex discrimination in employment”
- Great American Federal Savings & Loan Association v. Novotny
- City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power v. Manhart
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- Dothard v. Rawlinson
- County of Washington v. Gunther
Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (equal protection)
- Califano v. WestcottLaw held unconstitutional
- Califano v. Boles
- Vance v. Bradley
- Harris v. Rosario
- Cleland v. National College of Business
- United States Railroad Retirement Board v. Fritz
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- Dougherty County v. White
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
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