Konigsberg v. State Bar of California
353 U.S. 252 · Decided May 6, 1957 · 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
Konigsberg v. State Bar of California was decided on May 6, 1957 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote the 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
- 353 U.S. 252 · 77 S. Ct. 722 · 1 L. Ed. 2d 810 · 1957 U.S. LEXIS 981
- Docket number
- 5
- Decided
- May 6, 1957
- Argued
- January 14, 1957
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Hugo L. Black
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Bar admission, disbarment, and discipline
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority |
Did not participate: Charles E. Whittaker.
Full case caption
Konigsberg v. State Bar of California et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1956-078, docket 1956-078-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Bar admission, disbarment, and discipline”
- Schware v. Board of Bar Examiners of New Mexico
- Theard v. United States
- In re Levy.
- Sperry v. Florida ex Rel. Florida Bar
- Kingsland v. Dorsey
- In re Ruffalo
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Pennsylvania v. Board of Directors of City Trusts of the City of Philadelphia
- Morey v. DoudLaw held unconstitutional
- Griffin v. IllinoisLaw held unconstitutional
- Eubanks v. Louisiana
- Eskridge v. Washington State Board of Prison Terms and ParolesLaw held unconstitutional
- Florida ex Rel. Hawkins v. Board of Control of Florida
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
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