What are the different types of Supreme Court opinions, and what is their legal effect?

• A. Majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions; only the holding of the majority is binding.
• B. Per curiam opinions have no bearing on holdings.
• C. Majority and concurring opinions only; dissenting opinions are non-binding.
• D. The court issues only a single opinion.

Answer: (C)

The controlling rule in a Supreme Court decision comes from the majority opinion. Justices may also write concurring opinions, which agree with the outcome but offer different reasoning, and dissenting opinions, which disagree with the outcome. The binding effect rests on the holding of the majority—the rule that governs the case and future cases. Concurring opinions are persuasive and can clarify or limit the scope of the ruling, but they do not change the binding holding. Dissenting opinions are also persuasive and can influence later jurisprudence, but they do not bind. Sometimes the Court issues unsigned or per curiam opinions, but the enforceable rule remains the majority’s holding.