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Thurgood Marshall

1967–1991·Appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson·Democrat·Liberal

Details

Birth: July 2, 1908 · Baltimore, Maryland
Death: January 24, 1993
Law school: howard university
Prior experience: Various legal and public service prior to appointment

Biography

Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1967 to 1991, serving as the first African American justice in the Court's history. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Marshall earned his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1933, where he was mentored by Charles Hamilton Houston. After practicing law privately, he joined the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in 1940, eventually becoming its chief counsel. In this role, Marshall argued 32 cases before the Supreme Court, winning 29, including the landmark Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. President John F. Kennedy appointed him to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1961, and President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated him to the Supreme Court in 1967. As a Supreme Court justice, Marshall maintained a liberal judicial philosophy, consistently supporting civil rights, criminal defendants' rights, and individual liberties. He was a strong advocate for the application of the Bill of Rights to state governments and opposed capital punishment throughout his tenure. Marshall's most significant opinions included his dissent in Milliken v. Bradley (1974), where he criticized the majority's limitation on school desegregation remedies, and his opinion in Bounds v. Smith (1977), which established prisoners' rights to adequate law libraries. His legacy extends far beyond his judicial service; Marshall's work as a civil rights lawyer fundamentally transformed American constitutional law and helped dismantle legal segregation. He retired from the Court in 1991 due to declining health and died in 1993, remembered as one of the most influential legal figures of the twentieth century.

Notable opinions

Brown v. Board of Education
Furman v. Georgia
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

Cases on SCOTUShub

DISSENTLeavitt v. Jane L. (1996)

DISSENTFlorida v. Bostick (1991)

DISSENTOklahoma City Bd. Of Educ. V. Dowell (1991)

DISSENTPeretz v. United States (1991)

DISSENTCalifornia v. Hodari D. (1991)

DISSENTCalifornia v. Acevedo (1991)

MAJORITYSalve regina college v russell (1991)

DISSENTColeman v. Thompson (1991)

DISSENTCounty of Riverside v. McLaughlin (1991)

MAJORITYPowers v. Ohio (1991)

MAJORITYGentile v. State Bar of Nevada (1991)

DISSENTArizona v. Fulminante (1991)

DISSENTIllinois v. Rodriguez (1990)

DISSENTCruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health (1990)

DISSENTAlabama v. White (1990)

MAJORITYUnited States Department of Labor v. Triplett (1990)

MAJORITYAustin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990)

MAJORITYMinnesota v. Olson (1990)

DISSENTMaryland v. Buie (1990)

MAJORITYTafflin v. Levitt (1990)

CONCURRENCEBurnham v. Superior Court (1990)

DISSENTButler v. McKellar (1990)

DISSENTIllinois v. Perkins (1990)

DISSENTHorton v. California (1990)

DISSENTMichigan Department of State Police v. Sitz (1990)

DISSENTEmployment Division v. Smith (1990)

DISSENTDuckworth v. Eagan (1989)

DISSENTFlorida v. Riley (1989)

DISSENTCity of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. (1989)

DISSENTCotton Petroleum Corp. v. New Mexico (1989)

MAJORITYTexas v. Johnson (1989)

MAJORITYHarris v. Reed (1989)

MAJORITYGranfinanciera, S.A. v. Nordberg, 492 U.S. 33 (1989)

DISSENTDeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services (1989)

DISSENTPerry v. Lynaugh (1989)

MAJORITYMesa v. California (1989)

DISSENTTeague v. Lane (1989)

DISSENTCalifornia v. Greenwood (1988)

DISSENTBoyle v. United Technologies Corp. (1988)

MAJORITYAmadeo v. Zant (1988)

MAJORITYMorrison v. Olson (1988)

DISSENTMurray v. United States (1988)

DISSENTMaryland v. Garrison (1987)

MAJORITYArizona v. Hicks (1987)

DISSENTArizona v. Mauro (1987)

MAJORITYTurner v. Safley (1987)

MAJORITYSouth Dakota v. Dole (1987)

MAJORITYGriffith v. Kentucky (1987)

MAJORITYOfficial Committee of Equity Security Holders v. Mabey (1987)

DISSENTMcCleskey v. Kemp (1987) - “Statistical Evidence and Capital Sentencing”

DISSENTNew York v. Burger (1987)

DISSENTCommodity Futures Trading Commission v. Schor (1986)

DISSENTCalifornia v. Ciraolo (1986)

MAJORITYCrane v. Kentucky (1986)

DISSENTJapan Whaling Ass’n v. American Cetacean Society (1986)

MAJORITYBowsher v. Synar (1986)

DISSENTMurray v. Carrier (1986)

CONCURRENCEBatson v. Kentucky (1986)

DISSENTCFTC v. Schor (1986)

DISSENTColorado v. Connelly (1986)

DISSENTDow Chemical Co. v. United States (1986)

DISSENTBowers v. Hardwick (1986) - “No Fundamental Right to Homosexual Sodomy”

MAJORITYGarcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority (1985)

DISSENTCalifornia v. Carney (1985)

CONCURRENCEHayes v. Florida (1985)

MAJORITYThomas v. Union Carbide Agricultural Products Co. (1985)

DISSENTOregon v. Elstad (1985)

MAJORITYBerkemer v. McCarty (1984)

DISSENTNix v. Williams (1984)

DISSENTMinnesota v. Murphy (1984)

RECUSEDChevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1984)

DISSENTStrickland v. Washington (1984)

MAJORITYReed v. Ross (1984)

DISSENTAllen v. Wright (1984)

MAJORITYHeckler v. Mathews (1984)

DISSENTINS v. Lopez-Mendoza (1984)

MAJORITYJustices of Boston Municipal Court v. Lydon (1984)

DISSENTOliver v. United States (1984)

MAJORITYOhio v. Johnson (1984)

DISSENTCity of Los Angeles v. Lyons (1983)

CONCURRENCEFlorida v. Royer (1983)

DISSENTIllinois v. Gates (1983)

CONCURRENCEIllinois v. Lafayette (1983)

MAJORITYINS v. Chadha (1983)

DISSENTMichigan v. Long (1983)

MAJORITYNorthern Pipeline Construction Co. v. Marathon Pipe Line Co. (1982)

DISSENTRose v. Lundy (1982)

CONCURRENCEPlyler v. Doe (1982)

DISSENTNixon v. Fitzgerald (1982)

DISSENTNew York v. Belton (1981)

MAJORITYDames & Moore v. Regan (1981)

MAJORITYEdwards v. Arizona (1981)

MAJORITYMichigan v. Summers (1981)

MAJORITYCalifornia v. Prysock (1981)

DISSENTRawlings v. Kentucky (1980)

MAJORITYPayton v. New York (1980)

DISSENTRhode Island v. Innis (1980)

MAJORITYCentral Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New York (1980)

DISSENTNorth Carolina v. Butler (1979)

MAJORITYDelaware v. Prouse (1979)

MAJORITYDunaway v. New York (1979)

DISSENTSmith v. Maryland (1979)

DISSENTPersonnel Administrator v. Feeney (1979) - “Gender-Neutral Statutes and Discriminatory Purpose”

MAJORITYCannon v. University of Chicago (1979)

MAJORITYGoldwater v. Carter (1979)

MAJORITYButner v. United States (1979)

MAJORITYJackson v. Virginia (1979)

DISSENTTouche Ross & Co. v. Redington (1979)

DISSENTNew York City Transit Authority v. Beazer (1979)

MAJORITYRose v. Mitchell (1979)

MAJORITYPhiladelphia v. New Jersey (1978)

DISSENTRakas v. Illinois (1978)

MAJORITYExxon Corp. v. Governor of Maryland (1978)

MAJORITYMiree v. DeKalb County (1977)

CONCURRENCEArlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Dev. Corp. (1977) - “Discriminatory Purpose Test”

MAJORITYCarey v. Population Services International (1977)

MAJORITYCastaneda v. Partida (1977)

MAJORITYMoore v. East Cleveland (1977)

MAJORITYNixon v. Administrator of General Services (1977)

DISSENTOregon v. Mathiason (1977)

MAJORITYPennsylvania v. Mimms (1977)

DISSENTBeckwith v. United States (1976)

MAJORITYCraig v. Boren (1976)

DISSENTSouth Dakota v. Opperman (1976)

DISSENTStone v. Powell (1976)

DISSENTFrancis v. Henderson (1976)

DISSENTMathews v. Eldridge (1976)

MAJORITYNew Orleans v. Dukes (1976)

DISSENTNational League of Cities v. Usery (1976)

CONCURRENCEPasadena City Board of Education v. Spangler (1976)

DISSENTMichigan v. Mosley (1975)

MAJORITYBrown v. Illinois (1975)

MAJORITYNorth Georgia Finishing, Inc. v. Di-Chem, Inc. (1975)

DISSENTBelle Terre v. Boraas (1974)

MAJORITYRegional Rail Reorganization Act Cases (1974)

DISSENTGeduldig v. Aiello (1974)

DISSENTMitchell v. W.T. Grant Co. (1974)

DISSENTArnett v. Kennedy, 416 U.S. 134 (1974)

MAJORITYLinda R. S. v. Richard D. (1973)

MAJORITYLinda R.S. v. Richard D. (1973)

DISSENTMiller v. California (1973)

MAJORITYGilligan v. Morgan (1973)

MAJORITYFrontiero v. Richardson (1973)

MAJORITYNorwood v. Harrison (1973)

MAJORITYBraden v. 30th Judicial Circuit Court of Kentucky (1973)

DISSENTSchneckloth v. Bustamonte (1973)

DISSENTSan Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973)

MAJORITYDoe v. Bolton (1973)

MAJORITYRoe v. Wade (1973)

MAJORITYFuentes v. Shevin (1972)

DISSENTKastigar v. United States (1972)

DISSENTAdams v. Williams (1972)

MAJORITYGiglio v. United States (1972)

MAJORITYSierra Club v. Morton (1972)

MAJORITYEisenstadt v. Baird (1972)

MAJORITYChicago Police Department v. Mosley (1972)

MAJORITYCoolidge v. New Hampshire (1971)

MAJORITYLemon v. Kurtzman (1971)

MAJORITYGraham v. Richardson (1971)

MAJORITYPerez v. United States (1971)

MAJORITYReed v. Reed (1971)

MAJORITYSwann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971)

MAJORITYBivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents (1971)

MAJORITYChambers v. Maroney (1970)

MAJORITYPike v. Bruce Church, Inc. (1970)

DISSENTDandridge v. Williams (1970)

MAJORITYShapiro v. Thompson (1969)

MAJORITYDavis v. Mississippi (1969)

MAJORITYFrazier v. Cupp (1969)

MAJORITYPowell v. McCormack (1969)

MAJORITYChimel v. California (1969)

MAJORITYSimmons v. United States (1968)

MAJORITYMaryland v. Wirtz (1968)

MAJORITYTMT Trailer Ferry (1968)

MAJORITYBumper v. North Carolina (1968)

MAJORITYReading Co. v. Brown (1968)

MAJORITYTerry v. Ohio (1968)

Discussion

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