Home > Great American Court Cases > Washington v. Davis

Legal Citation: 426 U.S. 229 (1976)

Appellant
Walter E. Washington

Appellee
Alfred E. Davis

Appellant's Claim
That job qualification tests which minorities fail in disproportionate numbers do not violate the Equal Protection Clause.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant
David P. Sutton

Chief Lawyer for Appellee
Richard B. Sobol

Justices for the Court
Harry A. Blackmun, Warren E. Burger, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, Potter Stewart, Byron R. White (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting
William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
7 June 1976

Decision
The Supreme Court held that the job tests were not unconstitutional.

Significance
In Washington, the Court clearly...