Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians v. Coughlin

Decided June 15, 2023. Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 22-227 · 599 U.S. 382 (2023) · Cited 30 times

Holding

The Bankruptcy Code unequivocally abrogates the sovereign immunity of all governments, including federally recognized Indian tribes.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 8–1.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

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.

• Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community · 572 U.S. 782 (2014)
• Federal Aviation Administration v. Cooper · 566 U.S. 284 (2012)
• Blatchford v. Native Village of Noatak · 501 U.S. 775 (1991)
• Financial Oversight and Management Bd. for P. R. v. Centro De Periodismo Investigativo, Inc. · 598 U.S. 339 (2023)
• United States v. Nordic Village, Inc. · 503 U.S. 30 (1992)
• Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez · 436 U.S. 49 (1978)
• Hoffman v. Connecticut Department of Income Maintenance · 492 U.S. 96 (1989)
• Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Echazabal · 536 U.S. 73 (2002)
• United States v. Woods · 571 U.S. 31 (2013)
• C & L Enterprises Inc. v. Citizen Band Potawatomi Indian Tribe of Oklahoma · 532 U.S. 411 (2001)
• Northern Pipeline Construction Co. v. Marathon Pipe Line Co. · 458 U.S. 50 (1982)
• Alden v. Maine · 527 U.S. 706 (1999)
• Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents · 528 U.S. 62 (2000)
• United States v. Wheeler · 435 U.S. 313 (1978)
• Law v. Siegel · 571 U.S. 415 (2014)
• National Farmers Union Insurance v. Crow Tribe of Indians · 471 U.S. 845 (1985)
• United States v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. · 309 U.S. 506 (1940)
• Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe · 435 U.S. 191 (1978)
• Downes v. Bidwell · 182 U.S. 244 (1901)
• Central Virginia Community College v. Katz · 546 U.S. 356 (2006)
• Murray v. Schooner Charming Betsy · 6 U.S. 64 (1804)
• Ex Parte Crow Dog · 109 U.S. 556 (1883)
• Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land & Cattle Co. · 554 U.S. 316 (2008)
• Talton v. Mayes · 163 U.S. 376 (1896)
• The Cherokee Tobacco · 78 U.S. 616 (1871)
• Brown v. United States · 12 U.S. 110 (1814)

Cited by

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

• Department of Agriculture Rural Development Rural Housing Service v. Kirtz · 601 U.S. 42 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

Explore from here

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2023). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).