Dombrowski v. Pfister

380 U.S. 479 · Decided April 26, 1965 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Dombrowski v. Pfister was decided on April 26, 1965 by a vote of 5–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Hugo L. Black, Potter Stewart.

Full case caption

Dombrowski et al. v. Pfister, Chairman, Joint Legislative Committee on Unamerican Activities of the Louisiana Legislature, et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1964-077, docket 1964-077-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Lamont v. Postmaster GeneralLaw held unconstitutional
  381 U.S. 301Decided May 24, 19658–0William O. Douglas
• Cameron v. Johnson
  381 U.S. 741Decided June 7, 19655–4Per curiam
• Freedman v. MarylandLaw held unconstitutional
  380 U.S. 51Decided March 1, 19659–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama ex Rel. Flowers
  377 U.S. 288Decided June 1, 19649–0John M. Harlan II
• Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Virginia ex Rel. Virginia State Bar
  377 U.S. 1Decided April 20, 19646–2Hugo L. Black
• Mills v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
  384 U.S. 214Decided May 23, 19669–0Hugo L. Black

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (association)

• Degregory v. Attorney General of New Hampshire
  383 U.S. 825Decided April 4, 19666–3William O. Douglas
• Schneider v. Smith
  390 U.S. 17Decided January 16, 19688–0William O. Douglas
• Wilkinson v. United States
  365 U.S. 399Decided February 27, 19615–4Potter Stewart
• Braden v. United States
  365 U.S. 431Decided February 27, 19615–4Potter Stewart
• Baird v. State Bar of Arizona
  401 U.S. 1Decided February 23, 19715–4Hugo L. Black
• In re Stolar
  401 U.S. 23Decided February 23, 19715–4Hugo L. Black

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Garrison v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
  379 U.S. 64Decided November 23, 19649–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Cox v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
  379 U.S. 536Decided January 18, 19659–0Arthur J. Goldberg
• Cox v. Louisiana
  379 U.S. 559Decided January 18, 19655–4Arthur J. Goldberg
• Freedman v. MarylandLaw held unconstitutional
  380 U.S. 51Decided March 1, 19659–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• United States v. Seeger
  380 U.S. 163Decided March 8, 19659–0Tom C. Clark
• Henry v. Collins
  380 U.S. 356Decided March 29, 19659–0Per curiam

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error