National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Claiborne Hardware Co.

458 U.S. 886 · Decided July 2, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Claiborne Hardware Co. was decided on July 2, 1982 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Protest demonstrations” in the First Amendment area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.

Full case caption

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People et al. v. Claiborne Hardware Co. et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1981-175, docket 1981-175-01.

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  472 U.S. 675Decided June 24, 19856–3Sandra Day O'Connor
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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

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  457 U.S. 596Decided June 23, 19826–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Brown v. HartlageLaw held unconstitutional
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  455 U.S. 489Decided March 2, 19828–0Thurgood Marshall

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Federal Election Commission v. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
  454 U.S. 27Decided November 10, 19819–0Byron R. White
• California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
  454 U.S. 90Decided November 30, 19816–2Per curiam
• Widmar v. Vincent
  454 U.S. 263Decided December 8, 19818–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Citizens Against Rent Control/coalition for Fair Housing v. City of BerkeleyLaw held unconstitutional
  454 U.S. 290Decided December 14, 19818–1Warren E. Burger
• United States v. Lee
  455 U.S. 252Decided February 23, 19829–0Warren E. Burger
• Village of Hoffman Estates v. the Flipside
  455 U.S. 489Decided March 2, 19828–0Thurgood Marshall

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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