Elaine L. Chao v. Mallard Bay Drilling, Inc.
534 U.S. 235 · Decided January 9, 2002 · 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
Elaine L. Chao v. Mallard Bay Drilling, Inc. was decided on January 9, 2002 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Occupational Safety and Health Act” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 534 U.S. 235 · 122 S. Ct. 738 · 151 L. Ed. 2d 659 · 2002 U.S. LEXIS 403
- Docket number
- 00-927
- Decided
- January 9, 2002
- Argued
- October 31, 2001
- 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
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Occupational Safety and Health Act
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- Occupational Safety and Health Act
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Did not participate: Antonin Scalia.
Full case caption
Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor v. Mallard Bay Drilling, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 2001-013, docket 2001-013-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Occupational Safety and Health Act”
- Lynn Martin v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
- Cuyahoga Valley Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union
- American Textile Manufacturers Institute, Inc. v. Donovan
- Industrial Union Department v. American Petroleum Institute
- Whirlpool Corp. v. Marshall
Cases on the same legal provision: Occupational Safety and Health Act
- Mary Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Association
- National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Waffle House, Inc.
- Be & K Construction Company v. National Labor Relations Board
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