MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. et al. v. RUSSELL (1985)

MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. et al. v. RUSSELL
	Term: 1984
Important Dates
	Argued: January 16, 1985
	Decided: June 27, 1985
Outcome
	Reversed
Vote
	9-0
Majority
	Warren Burger • Sandra Day O'Connor • Lewis Powell • William Rehnquist • John Paul Stevens
Concurring
	Harry Blackmun • William Brennan • Thurgood Marshall • Byron White

MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. et al. v. RUSSELL is a case that was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 27, 1985. The case was argued before the court on January 16, 1985.

In a 9-0 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the lower court. The case originated from the California Central U.S. District Court.

For a full list of cases decided in the 1980s, click here. For a full list of cases decided by the Burger Court, click here.

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About the case

Subject matter: Economic Activity - Employee Retirement Income Security Act (cf. union trust funds)
Petitioner: employer. If employer's relations with employees are governed by the nature of the employer's business (e.g., railroad, boat), rather than labor law generally, the more specific designation is used in place of Employer.
Petitioner state: Unknown
Respondent type: Retired or former employee
Respondent state: Unknown
Citation: 473 U.S. 134
How the court took jurisdiction: Cert
What type of decision was made: Opinion of the court (orally argued)
Who was the chief justice: Warren Burger
Who wrote the majority opinion: John Paul Stevens

These data points were accessed from The Supreme Court Database, which also attempts to categorize the ideological direction of the court's ruling in each case. This case's ruling was categorized as conservative.