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Supreme Court · Decisions

Bullard v. Blue Hills Bank

The court held that an order from a bankruptcy court denying a debtor's confirmation of a proposed repayment cannot be immediately appealed, as it is not a final order.

575 U.S. 496 · No. 14-116 · 2014 term · Roberts Court

Decided May 4, 2015 · argued Apr 1, 2015

Judicial power · Judicial administration: jurisdiction or authority of federal courts of appeals

Majority opinion: John Roberts

The voteMajority

9–09 in the majority, 0 in dissent

No dissent (9–0)

Affirmed. Bullard lost.

What this ruling means

Affirmed: the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit, so it stands (sometimes with changes the Court made to it).

Bullard was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Lost” means the Court did not give that side the result it asked for.

From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.

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Summary

The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.

Bullard v. Blue Hills Bank, 575 U.S. 496 (2015), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that an order from a bankruptcy court denying a debtor's confirmation of a proposed repayment cannot be immediately appealed, as it is not a final order. The decision, in favor of Blue Hills Bank, was unanimous.

Read the full article on Wikipedia

Data notes

The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.

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How the justices voted

Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 2014 term. Filled: the 9 in the majority. Hollow: the 0 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.

More liberalMore conservativeMedianSotomayorGinsburgKaganBreyerKennedyJ. RobertsScaliaAlitoThomas

Majority(9)

Dissent(0)

  • None.
Data notes

Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.

Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.

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The parties

Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.

Petitioner
BullardBankrupt person or business, or business in reorganization
Respondent
Blue Hills BankBank, savings and loan, credit union, investment company
Reached the Court by
Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Why it was taken
Federal appeals courts had ruled differently on the question
Data notes

The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.

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The law at issue

The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.

Provision
Bankruptcy Code, Bankruptcy Act or Rules, or Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978
Kind of law
Federal Statute
Decided by
Statutory construction
Data notes

The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.

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Timeline

What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.

  1. May 4, 2015DecidedDecided · Decided 9–0: affirmed. Bullard lost.
  2. Apr 1, 2015ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
  3. Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari). Federal appeals courts had ruled differently on the question.
  4. Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit: petition denied or appeal dismissed.
  5. Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the Bankruptcy Court.
Data notes

From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.

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Other decisions on the same issue

45 other argued cases since 1946 on judicial administration: jurisdiction or authority of federal courts of appeals, newest first.

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  11. Carlsbad Technology, Inc. v. Hif Bio, Inc., et al.556 U.S. 635May 4, 2009 · 556 U.S. 635Judicial power9–0Unanimous band

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  13. Pat Osborn v. Barry Haley, et al.549 U.S. 225Jan 22, 2007 · 549 U.S. 225Judicial power7–27–2 band

  14. Carl Kircher, et al. v. Putnam Funds Trust et al.547 U.S. 633Jun 15, 2006 · 547 U.S. 633Judicial power9–0Unanimous band

  15. Ricky Bell, Warden v. Gregory Thompson545 U.S. 794Jun 27, 2005 · 545 U.S. 794Judicial power5–45–4 band
  16. Dow Chemical Company, et al. v. Daniel Raymond Stephenson et al.539 U.S. 111Jun 9, 2003 · 539 U.S. 111Judicial power8–0Unanimous band
  17. Khanh Phuong Nguyen v. United States et al.539 U.S. 69Jun 9, 2003 · 539 U.S. 69Judicial power5–45–4 band
  18. Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., Robert Babb, Edee Templet, and Kenneth A. Devun v. Hurley Henson537 U.S. 28Nov 5, 2002 · 537 U.S. 28Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  19. The Holmes Group, Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Systems, Inc.535 U.S. 826Jun 3, 2002 · 535 U.S. 826Judicial power9–0Unanimous band

  20. William J. Clinton, President of the United States, et al. v. James T. Goldsmith526 U.S. 529May 17, 1999 · 526 U.S. 529Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  21. William Gasperini v. Center for Humanities, Inc.518 U.S. 415Jun 24, 1996 · 518 U.S. 415Judicial power6–36–3 band

  22. John W. Behrens v. Robert J. Pelletier516 U.S. 299Feb 21, 1996 · 516 U.S. 299Judicial power7–27–2 band

  23. Things Remembered, Inc. v. Anthony A. Petrarca516 U.S. 124Dec 5, 1995 · 516 U.S. 124Judicial power9–0Unanimous band

  24. Celotex Corporation v. Bennie Edwards et ux.514 U.S. 300Apr 19, 1995 · 514 U.S. 300Judicial power7–27–2 band
  25. Tom Swint, et al. v. Chambers County Commission, et al.514 U.S. 35Mar 1, 1995 · 514 U.S. 35Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  26. Charles K. Elder v. R. D. Holloway et al.510 U.S. 510Feb 23, 1994 · 510 U.S. 510Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  27. Salve Regina College v. Sharon L. Russell499 U.S. 225Mar 20, 1991 · 499 U.S. 225Judicial power6–36–3 band
  28. Newman-Green, Inc. v. Alfonzo-Larrain et al.490 U.S. 826Jun 12, 1989 · 490 U.S. 826Judicial power7–27–2 band
  29. Christianson et al. v. Colt Industries Operating Corp.486 U.S. 800Jun 17, 1988 · 486 U.S. 800Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  30. United States v. Hohri et al.482 U.S. 64Jun 1, 1987 · 482 U.S. 64Judicial power8–0Unanimous band
  31. Icicle Seafoods, Inc. v. Worthington et al.475 U.S. 709Apr 21, 1986 · 475 U.S. 709Judicial power8–18–1 band
  32. Jean et al. v. Nelson, Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service, et al.472 U.S. 846Jun 26, 1985 · 472 U.S. 846Judicial power6–27–2 band
  33. Will, U. S. District Judge v. Calvert Fire Insurance Co. et al.437 U.S. 655Jun 23, 1978 · 437 U.S. 655Judicial power5–45–4 band
  34. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. v. Wetzel et al.424 U.S. 737Mar 23, 1976 · 424 U.S. 737Judicial power8–0Unanimous band
  35. Tidewater Oil Co. v. United States et al.409 U.S. 151Dec 6, 1972 · 409 U.S. 151Judicial power6–36–3 band
  36. International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America, AFL-CIO, Local 283 v. Scofield et al.382 U.S. 205Dec 20, 1965 · 382 U.S. 205Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  37. United States v. Fruehauf et al.365 U.S. 146Feb 20, 1961 · 365 U.S. 146Judicial power8–18–1 band
  38. Jaffke v. Dunham, Trustee in Bankruptcy352 U.S. 280Jan 14, 1957 · 352 U.S. 280Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  39. La Buy, United States District Judge, v. Howes Leather Co., Inc., et al.352 U.S. 249Jan 14, 1957 · 352 U.S. 249Judicial power5–45–4 band
  40. National Labor Relations Board v. Warren Company, Inc.350 U.S. 107Dec 12, 1955 · 350 U.S. 107Judicial power9–0Unanimous band
  41. United States et al. v. California Eastern Line, Inc.348 U.S. 351Mar 7, 1955 · 348 U.S. 351Judicial power7–18–1 band
  42. Western Pacific Railroad Corp. et al. v. Western Pacific Railroad Co. et al.345 U.S. 247Apr 6, 1953 · 345 U.S. 247Judicial power8–18–1 band
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Data notes

Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.

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Official record

Read the full opinion on Justia, the argument audio on Oyez and Wikipedia. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.