Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees
441 U.S. 463 · Decided April 30, 1979 · 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
Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees was decided on April 30, 1979 by a vote of 7–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 441 U.S. 463 · 99 S. Ct. 1826 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 360 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 95
- Docket number
- 78-1223
- Decided
- April 30, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- 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 J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Smith et al. v. Arkansas State Highway Employees, Local 1315, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-087, docket 1978-087-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Marchioro v. Chaney
- Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co.Law held unconstitutional
- Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District
- Brown v. Glines
- Secretary of the Navy v. Huff
- Snepp v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Herbert v. Lando
- Wolston v. Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
- Friedman v. Rogers
- Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.
- Pinkus v. United States
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District
- Friedman v. Rogers
- Herbert v. Lando
- Marchioro v. Chaney
- Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co.Law held unconstitutional
- Hutchinson v. Proxmire
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