Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson
343 U.S. 495 · Decided May 26, 1952 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson was decided on May 26, 1952 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Tom C. Clark wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 343 U.S. 495 · 72 S. Ct. 777 · 96 L. Ed. 2d 1098 · 1952 U.S. LEXIS 2796
- Docket number
- 522
- Decided
- May 26, 1952
- Argued
- April 24, 1952
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Tom C. Clark
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority |
Full case caption
Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson, Commissioner of Education of New York, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1951-084, docket 1951-084-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Feiner v. New York
- United States v. Harriss
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Etc. Union v. Hanke
- Building Service Employees International Union v. Gazzam
- Cole v. Arkansas
- Terminiello v. ChicagoLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia v. Pollak
- Beauharnais v. Illinois
- Adler v. Board of Education of the City of New York
- Wieman v. UpdegraffLaw held unconstitutional
- Local Union No. 10 v. Graham
- Gerende v. Board of Supervisors of Elections of Baltimore
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Adler v. Board of Education of the City of New York
- Carlson v. Landon
- Harisiades v. Shaughnessy
- Beauharnais v. Illinois
- Zorach v. Clauson
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