Lemon v. Kurtzman

411 U.S. 192 · Decided April 2, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Lemon v. Kurtzman was decided on April 2, 1973 by a vote of 5–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)” in the First Amendment area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.

Full case caption

Lemon et al. v. Kurtzman, Superintendent of Public Instruction of Pennsylvania, et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1972-089, docket 1972-089-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)”

• Levitt v. Committee for Public Education & Religious LibertyLaw held unconstitutional
  413 U.S. 472Decided June 25, 19738–1Warren E. Burger
• Hunt v. McNair
  413 U.S. 734Decided June 25, 19736–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Sloan v. LemonLaw held unconstitutional
  413 U.S. 825Decided June 25, 19736–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Committee for Public Education & Religious Liberty v. NyquistLaw held unconstitutional
  413 U.S. 756Decided June 25, 19736–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Wheeler v. Barrera
  417 U.S. 402Decided June 10, 19748–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Lemon v. KurtzmanLaw held unconstitutional
  403 U.S. 602Decided June 28, 19718–0Warren E. Burger

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)

• Walz v. Tax Commission of the City of New York
  397 U.S. 664Decided May 4, 19707–1Warren E. Burger
• Epperson v. ArkansasLaw held unconstitutional
  393 U.S. 97Decided November 17, 19689–0Abe Fortas
• Stone v. GrahamLaw held unconstitutional
  449 U.S. 39Decided November 17, 19805–4Per curiam
• Widmar v. Vincent
  454 U.S. 263Decided December 8, 19818–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Chamberlin v. Dade County Board of Public InstructionLaw held unconstitutional
  377 U.S. 402Decided June 1, 19648–1Per curiam
• Larson v. ValenteLaw held unconstitutional
  456 U.S. 228Decided April 21, 19825–4William J. Brennan Jr.

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• California v. Larue
  409 U.S. 109Decided December 5, 19726–3William H. Rehnquist
• Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri
  410 U.S. 667Decided March 19, 19736–3Per curiam
• Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee
  412 U.S. 94Decided May 29, 19737–2Warren E. Burger
• Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
  413 U.S. 15Decided June 21, 19735–4Warren E. Burger
• Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton
  413 U.S. 49Decided June 21, 19735–4Warren E. Burger
• Kaplan v. California
  413 U.S. 115Decided June 21, 19735–4Warren E. Burger

See all

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