Sears v. San Diego County District Council of Carpenters
436 U.S. 180 · Decided May 15, 1978 · 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
Sears v. San Diego County District Council of Carpenters was decided on May 15, 1978 by a vote of 6–3. 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 “Federal preemption of state court jurisdiction” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 436 U.S. 180 · 98 S. Ct. 1745 · 56 L. Ed. 2d 209 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 25
- Docket number
- 76-750
- Decided
- May 15, 1978
- Argued
- November 7, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Federal preemption of state court jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- National Labor Relations Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. San Diego County District Council of Carpenters
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-084, docket 1977-084-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state court jurisdiction”
- Farmer v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America
- Lodge 76 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations CommissionAltered precedent
- Chicago & North Western Transportation Co. v. Kalo Brick & Tile Co.
- Gulf Offshore Co. v. Mobil Oil Corp.
- Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. v. Hall
- American Radio Assn. v. Mobile Steamship Assn., Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: National Labor Relations Act
- American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Writers Guild of America
- Beth Israel Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board
- Eastex, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board
- Malone v. White Motor Corp.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Local Union No. 103
- National Labor Relations Board v. Baylor University Medical Center
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- General Atomic Co. v. Felter
- United States Steel Corp. v. Multistate Tax Commission
- Ray v. Atlantic Richfield Co.
- Massachusetts v. United States
- Malone v. White Motor Corp.
- United States v. California
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