Sullivan v. Hudson
490 U.S. 877 · Decided June 12, 1989 · 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
Sullivan v. Hudson was decided on June 12, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor 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
- 490 U.S. 877 · 109 S. Ct. 2248 · 104 L. Ed. 2d 941 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 2866
- Docket number
- 88-616
- Decided
- June 12, 1989
- Argued
- April 17, 1989
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent |
Full case caption
Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services v. Hudson
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-108, docket 1988-108-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Missouri v. Jenkins
- Independent Federation of Flight Attendants v. Zipes
- Texas State Teachers Association v. Garland Independent School District
- Blanchard v. Bergeron
- Rhodes v. Stewart
- United States Department of Labor v. Triplett
Cases on the same legal provision: Equal Access to Justice Act
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Rhodes v. Stewart
- Blanchard v. Bergeron
- Texas State Teachers Association v. Garland Independent School District
- Missouri v. Jenkins
- Independent Federation of Flight Attendants v. Zipes
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