Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association
578 U.S. 1 · Decided March 29, 2016 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association was decided on March 29, 2016 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union or closed shop” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 578 U.S. 1 · 136 S. Ct. 1083 · 194 L. Ed. 2d 255 · 2016 U.S. LEXIS 2264
- Docket number
- 14-915
- Decided
- March 29, 2016
- Argued
- January 11, 2016
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union or closed shop
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (association)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Equally divided vote |
Full case caption
Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association
SCDB identifiers: case 2015-030, docket 2015-030-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Union or closed shop”
- Janus v. American Federation of StateAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Daniel B. Locke v. Edward A. Karass
- Gary Davenport v. Washington Education Association
- Naomi Marquez v. Screen Actors Guild, Inc.
- James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
- Communications Workers of America v. Beck
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (association)
- Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. BontaLaw held unconstitutional
- Washington State Grange v. Washington State Republican Party
- New York State Board of Elections v. Margarita Lopez Torres
- William Overton v. Michelle Bazzetta
- California Democratic Party v. Bill JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- Michele L. Timmons v. Twin Cities Area New Party
Same Term, same area (Unions)
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