This paper traces and analyzes the development of the Supreme Court's work in the area of sexual equality, with particular emphasis on the family dimension of this issue. The Court is criticized for both the legal and policy inadequacies of its recent decisions. It is argued that the Court has failed to use a consistent, principled standard by which legitimate and illegitimate sex-based classifications can be distinguished from one another. The Court is also criticized for not recognizing the connection between family structure and sexual equality and as being inadequate in the area of social reform. A possible solution to the problem of supporting both the legal equality of the sexes and the family as a social institution is offered: sex-neutral, role-specific classifications to replace traditional sex-based ones. (Author/JK)