Shirley W. Irwin v. Department of Veterans Affairs
498 U.S. 89 · Decided December 3, 1990 · 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
Shirley W. Irwin v. Department of Veterans Affairs was decided on December 3, 1990 by a vote of 7–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Untimely filing” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 498 U.S. 89 · 111 S. Ct. 453 · 112 L. Ed. 2d 435 · 1990 U.S. LEXIS 6120
- Docket number
- 89-5867
- Decided
- December 3, 1990
- Argued
- October 1, 1990
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–1
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Untimely filing
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Did not participate: David H. Souter.
Full case caption
Shirley W. Irwin v. Department of Veterans Affairs et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1990-012, docket 1990-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Untimely filing”
- Mark Rotella v. Angela M. Wood
- Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York v. Tomanio
- Edith Jones v. R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
- Robert Johnson, Jr. v. United States
- John A. Pace v. David Diguglielmo
- Graham County Soil & Water Conservation District v. United States ex Rel. Karen T. Wilson
Cases on the same legal provision: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- International Union v. Johnson Controls, Inc.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Arabian American Oil Co.
- Yellow Freight System, Inc. v. Donnelly
- Independent Federation of Flight Attendants v. Zipes
- Lorance v. AT&T Technologies, Inc.
- Wards Cove Packing Co., Inc. v. Atonio
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Billy J. Temple v. Synthes Corporation, Ltd.
- Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast, Inc. v. United Distribution Companies
- Firstier Mortgage Company v. Investors Mortgage Insurance Company
- Ohio v. Ediberto Huertas
- James A. Ford v. Georgia
- Freeport-McMoran Inc. v. K N Energy, Inc.
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