Forsham v. Harris
445 U.S. 169 · Decided March 3, 1980 · 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
Forsham v. Harris was decided on March 3, 1980 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 445 U.S. 169 · 100 S. Ct. 977 · 63 L. Ed. 2d 293 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 27
- Docket number
- 78-1118
- Decided
- March 3, 1980
- Argued
- October 31, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Forsham et al. v. Harris, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-050, docket 1979-050-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- GTE Sylvania, Inc. v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc.
- Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve System v. Merrill
- Upjohn Co. v. United States
- Chrysler Corp. v. Brown
Cases on the same legal provision: Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- GTE Sylvania, Inc. v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc.
- Harris v. McRae
- Williams v. Zbaraz
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