Southeastern Community College v. Davis

442 U.S. 397 · Decided June 11, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Southeastern Community College v. Davis was decided on June 11, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Affirmative action” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

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

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Southeastern Community College v. Davis

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-119, docket 1978-119-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Affirmative action”

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  448 U.S. 448Decided July 2, 19806–3Warren E. Burger
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Cases on the same legal provision: Rehabilitation Act

• Community Television of Southern California v. Gottfried
  459 U.S. 498Decided February 22, 19837–2John Paul Stevens
• Consolidated Rail Corporation v. Darrone
  465 U.S. 624Decided February 24, 19849–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Smith v. Robinson
  468 U.S. 992Decided July 5, 19846–3Harry A. Blackmun
• Alexander v. Choate
  469 U.S. 287Decided January 9, 19859–0Thurgood Marshall
• Bowen v. American Hospital Association
  476 U.S. 610Decided June 9, 19865–3John Paul Stevens
• United States Department of Transportation v. Paralyzed Veterans of America
  477 U.S. 597Decided June 27, 19866–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
  439 U.S. 24Decided November 13, 19785–4Per curiam
• Dougherty County v. White
  439 U.S. 32Decided November 28, 19785–4Thurgood Marshall
• Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
  439 U.S. 60Decided November 28, 19786–3William H. Rehnquist
• Califano v. Aznavorian
  439 U.S. 170Decided December 11, 19789–0Potter Stewart
• Lalli v. Lalli
  439 U.S. 259Decided December 11, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  439 U.S. 357Decided January 9, 19798–1Byron R. White

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