Edelman, Director, Department of Public Aid of Illinois v. Jordan

Decided March 25, 1974. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 72-1410 · 415 U.S. 651 (1974) · Cited 6,517 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Parden v. Terminal Railway of Alabama State Docks Department · 377 U.S. 184 (1964)
• Petty v. Tennessee-Missouri Bridge Commission · 359 U.S. 275 (1959)
• Rosado v. Wyman · 397 U.S. 397 (1970)
• Griffin v. School Bd. of Prince Edward Cty. · 377 U.S. 218 (1964)
• Ford Motor Co. v. Department of Treasury · 323 U.S. 459 (1945)
• King v. Smith · 392 U.S. 309 (1968)
• Principality of Monaco v. Mississippi · 292 U.S. 313 (1934)
• Employees of Department of Public Health v. Department of Public Health · 411 U.S. 279 (1973)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Mitchell v. Robert DeMario Jewelry, Inc. · 361 U.S. 288 (1960)
• Great Northern Life Insurance Co. v. Read · 322 U.S. 47 (1944)
• Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson · 404 U.S. 97 (1971)
• Porter v. Warner Holding Co. · 328 U.S. 395 (1946)
• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Moor v. County of Alameda · 411 U.S. 693 (1973)
• Lincoln County v. Luning · 133 U.S. 529 (1890)
• Kennecott Copper Corp. v. State Tax Commission · 327 U.S. 573 (1946)
• Griggs v. Duke Power Co. · 401 U.S. 424 (1971)
• Graham v. Richardson · 403 U.S. 365 (1971)
• J. I. Case Co. v. Borak · 377 U.S. 426 (1964)
• Burnet v. Coronado Oil & Gas Co. · 285 U.S. 393 (1932)
• Illinois v. City of Milwaukee · 406 U.S. 91 (1972)
• Jefferson v. Hackney · 406 U.S. 535 (1972)
• Townsend v. Swank · 404 U.S. 282 (1971)
• Fitts v. McGhee · 172 U.S. 516 (1899)
• Department of Employment v. United States · 385 U.S. 355 (1966)
• Bullard v. City of Cisco · 290 U.S. 179 (1933)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Quern v. Jordan · 440 U.S. 332 (1979)
• Hutto v. Finney · 437 U.S. 678 (1978)
• Florida Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services v. Florida Nursing Home Ass'n · 450 U.S. 147 (1981)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 465 U.S. 89 (1984)
• Cory v. White · 457 U.S. 85 (1982)
• Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho · 521 U.S. 261 (1997)
• Fitzpatrick v. Bitzer · 427 U.S. 445 (1976)
• Atascadero State Hospital v. Scanlon · 473 U.S. 234 (1985)
• Papasan v. Allain · 478 U.S. 265 (1986)
• Milliken v. Bradley · 433 U.S. 267 (1977)
• Maine v. Thiboutot · 448 U.S. 1 (1980)
• Welch v. Texas Department of Highways & Public Transportation · 483 U.S. 468 (1987)
• Guardians Assn. v. Civil Serv. Comm'n of New York City · 463 U.S. 582 (1983)
• Florida Department of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc. · 458 U.S. 670 (1982)
• Pennsylvania v. Union Gas Co. · 491 U.S. 1 (1989)
• Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs. · 436 U.S. 658 (1978)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• Patsy v. Board of Regents of Fla. · 457 U.S. 496 (1982)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 451 U.S. 1 (1981)
• Green v. Mansour · 474 U.S. 64 (1985)
• Chapman v. Houston Welfare Rights Organization · 441 U.S. 600 (1979)
• College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board · 527 U.S. 666 (1999)
• Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. v. Feeney · 495 U.S. 299 (1990)
• Dellmuth v. Muth · 491 U.S. 223 (1989)
• Will v. Michigan Department of State Police · 491 U.S. 58 (1989)
• Alden v. Maine · 527 U.S. 706 (1999)
• Runyon v. McCrary · 427 U.S. 160 (1976)
• Wisconsin Department of Corrections v. Schacht · 524 U.S. 381 (1998)
• Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. · 551 U.S. 449 (2007)
• Countyof Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of NY · 470 U.S. 226 (1985)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).