Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
413 U.S. 376 · Decided June 21, 1973 · 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
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations was decided on June 21, 1973 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Commercial speech, excluding attorneys” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 413 U.S. 376 · 93 S. Ct. 2553 · 37 L. Ed. 2d 669 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 150
- Docket number
- 72-419
- Decided
- June 21, 1973
- Argued
- March 20, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Commercial speech, excluding attorneys
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-168, docket 1972-168-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Commercial speech, excluding attorneys”
- Bigelow v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of WillingboroLaw held unconstitutional
- Friedman v. Rogers
- Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San DiegoLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
- Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton
- Kaplan v. California
- United States v. 12 200-ft. Reels of Super 8mm. Film (Paladini
- United States v. Orito
- Heller v. New York
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- California v. Larue
- Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri
- Lemon v. Kurtzman
- Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee
- Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
- Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton
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