Kingsland v. Dorsey
338 U.S. 318 · Decided November 21, 1949 · 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
Kingsland v. Dorsey was decided on November 21, 1949 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Bar admission, disbarment, and discipline” in the Attorneys area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 338 U.S. 318 · 70 S. Ct. 123 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 123 · 1949 U.S. LEXIS 2977
- Docket number
- 53
- Decided
- November 21, 1949
- Argued
- October 18, 1949
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Bar admission, disbarment, and discipline
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- 35 U.S.C. § 11
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Dissent | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority |
Did not participate: William O. Douglas.
Full case caption
Kingsland, Commissioner of Patents, v. Dorsey
SCDB identifiers: case 1949-014, docket 1949-014-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Bar admission, disbarment, and discipline”
- In re Levy.
- Schware v. Board of Bar Examiners of New Mexico
- Konigsberg v. State Bar of California
- Theard v. United States
- Sperry v. Florida ex Rel. Florida Bar
- In re Ruffalo
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