Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski

Decided March 8, 2021. Clarence Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 19-968 · 592 U.S. 279 (2021) · Cited 491 times

Holding

A request for nominal damages satisfies the redressability element necessary for Article III standing where a plaintiff’s claim is based on a completed violation of a legal right.

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.

• Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins · 578 U.S. 330 (2016)
• Chafin v. Chafin · 568 U.S. 165 (2013)
• Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment · 523 U.S. 83 (1998)
• Memphis Community School District v. Stachura · 477 U.S. 299 (1986)
• Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Inc. · 454 U.S. 464 (1982)
• Flast v. Cohen · 392 U.S. 83 (1968)
• Carey v. Piphus · 435 U.S. 247 (1978)
• Farrar v. Hobby · 506 U.S. 103 (1992)
• Lewis v. Continental Bank Corp. · 494 U.S. 472 (1990)
• Church of Scientology of California v. United States · 506 U.S. 9 (1992)
• California v. San Pablo & Tulare Railroad · 149 U.S. 308 (1893)
• Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife · 504 U.S. 555 (1992)
• Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services (TOC), Inc. · 528 U.S. 167 (2000)
• Simon v. Eastern Kentucky Welfare Rights Organization · 426 U.S. 26 (1976)
• Spencer v. Kemna · 523 U.S. 1 (1998)
• DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno · 547 U.S. 332 (2006)
• Vermont Agency of Natural Resources v. United States Ex Rel. Stevens · 529 U.S. 765 (2000)
• Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division v. Craft · 436 U.S. 1 (1978)
• United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
• Hewitt v. Helms · 482 U.S. 755 (1987)
• Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez · 577 U.S. 153 (2016)
• Sprint Communications Co. v. APCC Services, Inc. · 554 U.S. 269 (2008)
• Coleman v. Miller · 307 U.S. 433 (1939)
• Liverpool, New York & Philadelphia Steamship Co. v. Commissioners of Emigration · 113 U.S. 33 (1885)
• Chicago & Grand Trunk Railway Co. v. Wellman · 143 U.S. 339 (1892)
• Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs v. Perini North River Associates · 459 U.S. 297 (1983)

Cited by

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

• Medical Marijuana, Inc. v. Horn · 604 U.S. 593 (2025)
• Diamond Alternative Energy, LLC v. EPA · 606 U.S. 100 (2025)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Clarence Thomas’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2021). 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).