James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
500 U.S. 507 · Decided May 30, 1991 · 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
James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association was decided on May 30, 1991 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union or closed shop” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 500 U.S. 507 · 111 S. Ct. 1950 · 114 L. Ed. 2d 572 · 1991 U.S. LEXIS 3017
- Docket number
- 89-1217
- Decided
- May 30, 1991
- Argued
- November 5, 1990
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union or closed shop
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent |
Full case caption
James P. Lehnert et al. v. Ferris Faculty Association et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1990-091, docket 1990-091-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Union or closed shop”
- Communications Workers of America v. Beck
- Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson
- Ellis v. Brotherhood of Railway
- Naomi Marquez v. Screen Actors Guild, Inc.
- Abood v. Detroit Board of Education
- Gary Davenport v. Washington Education Association
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Jeffrey M. Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
- Michael Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc.
- Cohen v. Cowles Media Co.
- Dominic P. Gentile v. State Bar of NevadaLaw held unconstitutional
- Leathers v. Medlock
- Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of the New York State Crime Victims BoardLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- Arthur Groves v. Ring Screw Works
- International Organization of Masters v. Timothy A. Brown
- Air Line Pilots Association v. Joseph E. O'Neill
- Lynn Martin v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
- American Hospital Association v. National Labor Relations Board
- Robert D. Gilmer v. Interstate/johnson Lane Corporation
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