Pierce v. Underwood
487 U.S. 552 · Decided June 27, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Pierce v. Underwood was decided on June 27, 1988 by a vote of 6–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses” in the Attorneys area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 487 U.S. 552 · 108 S. Ct. 2541 · 101 L. Ed. 2d 490 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 2882
- Docket number
- 86-1512
- Decided
- June 27, 1988
- Argued
- December 1, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Equal Access to Justice Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Pierce, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development v. Underwood et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-147, docket 1987-147-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Rhodes v. Stewart
- Otis R. Bowen v. Mary Alice Galbreath
- Blanchard v. Bergeron
- Texas State Teachers Association v. Garland Independent School District
- Sullivan v. Hudson
- Missouri v. Jenkins
Cases on the same legal provision: Equal Access to Justice Act
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Otis R. Bowen v. Mary Alice Galbreath
- Shapero v. Kentucky Bar AssociationLaw 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