Tommy Olmstead, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Human Resources, et al. v. L. C., by Jonathan Zimring, Guardian Ad Litem and Next Friend, et al.

Decided June 22, 1999. Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 98-536 · 527 U.S. 581 (1999) · Cited 721 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 6–3.

“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.

• Traynor v. Turnage · 485 U.S. 535 (1988)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 451 U.S. 1 (1981)
• Alexander v. Choate · 469 U.S. 287 (1985)
• Griggs v. Duke Power Co. · 401 U.S. 424 (1971)
• City of Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart · 435 U.S. 702 (1978)
• City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, Inc. · 473 U.S. 432 (1985)
• Allen v. Wright · 468 U.S. 737 (1984)
• Holmes v. Securities Investor Protection Corporation · 503 U.S. 258 (1992)
• Bragdon v. Abbott · 524 U.S. 624 (1998)
• City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co. · 488 U.S. 469 (1989)
• Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 467 U.S. 837 (1984)
• Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson · 477 U.S. 57 (1986)
• Skidmore v. Swift & Co. · 323 U.S. 134 (1944)
• Yick Wo v. Hopkins · 118 U.S. 356 (1886)
• Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc. · 523 U.S. 75 (1998)
• Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley Ex Rel. Rowley · 458 U.S. 176 (1982)
• Russello v. United States · 464 U.S. 16 (1983)
• Patterson v. McLean Credit Union · 491 U.S. 164 (1989)
• Youngberg v. Romeo Ex Rel. Romeo · 457 U.S. 307 (1982)
• Honig v. Doe · 484 U.S. 305 (1988)
• Screws v. United States · 325 U.S. 91 (1945)
• Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Thurston · 469 U.S. 111 (1985)
• Vitek v. Jones · 445 U.S. 480 (1980)
• Field v. Mans · 516 U.S. 59 (1995)
• Lorillard v. Pons · 434 U.S. 575 (1978)
• O'CONNOR v. Consolidated Coin Caterers Corp. · 517 U.S. 308 (1996)
• Southeastern Community College v. Davis · 442 U.S. 397 (1979)
• Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena · 515 U.S. 200 (1995)
• New York v. United States · 505 U.S. 144 (1992)
• Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools · 503 U.S. 60 (1992)

Cited by

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

• Tennessee v. Lane · 541 U.S. 509 (2004)
• Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services (TOC), Inc. · 528 U.S. 167 (2000)
• US Airways, Inc. v. Barnett · 535 U.S. 391 (2002)
• Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education · 544 U.S. 167 (2005)

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).