CaseTrail

Matal v. Tam

137 S. Ct. 1744 · Decided June 19, 2017 · 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

Matal v. Tam was decided on June 19, 2017 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
137 S. Ct. 1744 · 198 L. Ed. 2d 366 · 2017 U.S. LEXIS 3872
Docket number
15-1293
Decided
June 19, 2017
Argued
January 18, 2017
Court era
Roberts Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Affirmed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
Vote
8–0 (unanimous)
Majority opinion
Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Opinion assigned by
John G. Roberts Jr.
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Issue area
First Amendment
Legal provision
First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
Type of law
Constitutional amendment
Held unconstitutional
An act of Congress
Decision direction (SCDB)
Liberal what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice Anthony M. KennedySpecial concurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Clarence ThomasConcurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgSpecial concurrence
Justice Stephen G. BreyerMajority
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.Majority
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.MajorityWrote an opinion
Justice Sonia SotomayorSpecial concurrence
Justice Elena KaganSpecial concurrence

Did not participate: Neil M. Gorsuch.

Full case caption

Matal v. Tam

SCDB identifiers: case 2016-040, docket 2016-040-01.

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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