8 canonical passages across 5 cases, quoted by 264 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc..
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Anchor | red | “if the intent of congress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the court, as well as the agency, must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of congress.” | 99 |
| 2 | Robinson v. Shell Oil Co. | green | “the plainness or ambiguity of statutory language is determined by reference to the language itself, the specific context in which that language is used, and the broader context of the statute as a whole.” | 72 |
| 3 | K Mart Corp. v. Cartier, Inc. | green | “in ascertaining the plain meaning of the statute, the court must look to the particular statutory language at issue, as well as the language and design of the statute as a whole.” | 50 |
| 4 | King v. St. Vincent's Hospital | green | “he meaning of statutory language, plain or not, depends on context.” | 18 |
| 5 | King v. St. Vincent's Hospital | green | “the meaning of statutory language, plain or not, depends on context” | 9 |
| 6 | United States National Bank v. Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc. | green | “over and over we have stressed that 'n expounding a statute, we must not be guided by a single sentence or member of a sentence, but look to the provisions of the whole law, and to its object and policy.” | 7 |
| 7 | King v. St. Vincent's Hospital | green | “statute is to be read as a whole, since the meaning of statutory language, plain or not, depends on context.” | 5 |
| 8 | United States National Bank v. Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc. | green | “in expounding a statute, we must not be guided by a single sentence or member of a sentence, but look to the provisions of the whole law, and to its object and policy.” | 4 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.