Shaw v. Delta Air Lines, Inc.

463 U.S. 85 · Decided June 24, 1983 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Shaw v. Delta Air Lines, Inc. was decided on June 24, 1983 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.

Read the opinion

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

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Shaw, Acting Commissioner, New York State Division of Human Rights, et al. v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1982-136, docket 1982-136-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”

• Philko Aviation, Inc. v. Shacket et Ux.
  462 U.S. 406Decided June 15, 19839–0Byron R. White
• Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. v. Arkansas Public Service Commission
  461 U.S. 375Decided May 16, 19837–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
  461 U.S. 190Decided April 20, 19839–0Byron R. White
• North Dakota v. United States
  460 U.S. 300Decided March 7, 19837–2Harry A. Blackmun
• Aloha Airlines, Inc. v. Director of Taxation of Hawaii
  464 U.S. 7Decided November 1, 19839–0Thurgood Marshall
• Michigan Canners & Freezers Association, Inc. v. Agricultural Marketing and Bargaining Board
  467 U.S. 461Decided June 11, 19849–0William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

• Central States v. Central Transport, Inc.
  472 U.S. 559Decided June 19, 19859–0Thurgood Marshall
• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. v. Russell
  473 U.S. 134Decided June 27, 19859–0John Paul Stevens
• Alessi v. Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc.
  451 U.S. 504Decided May 18, 19818–0Thurgood Marshall
• Connolly v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
  475 U.S. 211Decided February 26, 19869–0Byron R. White
• Nachman Corp. v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
  446 U.S. 359Decided May 12, 19805–4John Paul Stevens
• Pilot Life Insurance Co. v. Dedeaux
  481 U.S. 41Decided April 6, 19879–0Sandra Day O'Connor

Same Term, same area (Federalism)

• California ex Rel. State Lands Commission v. United States
  459 U.S. 1Decided October 18, 19829–0
• North Dakota v. United States
  460 U.S. 300Decided March 7, 19837–2Harry A. Blackmun
• Local 926 v. Jones
  460 U.S. 669Decided April 4, 19836–3Byron R. White
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
  461 U.S. 190Decided April 20, 19839–0Byron R. White
• Block v. North Dakota ex Rel. Board of University and School Lands
  461 U.S. 273Decided May 2, 19838–1Byron R. White
• Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. v. Arkansas Public Service Commission
  461 U.S. 375Decided May 16, 19837–2William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

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