Standard Oil Co. of California v. United States
429 U.S. 17 · Decided October 18, 1976 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Standard Oil Co. of California v. United States was decided on October 18, 1976 unanimously (8–0). SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal rules of civil procedure” in the Judicial Power area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 429 U.S. 17 · 97 S. Ct. 31 · 50 L. Ed. 2d 21 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 167
- Docket number
- 72-1251
- Decided
- October 18, 1976
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Federal rules of civil procedure
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
- Type of law
- Court rules
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Did not participate: Byron R. White.
Full case caption
Standard Oil Co. of California v. United States
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-006, docket 1976-006-01.
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- East Texas Motor Freight System, Inc. v. Rodriguez
- United Airlines, Inc. v. McDonald
- Browder v. Director
- Bankers Trust Co. v. Mallis
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
- Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. v. Wetzel
- Board of School Commissioners of the City of Indianapolis v. Jacobs
- Carter v. Stanton
- Inwood Laboratories, Inc. v. Ives Laboratories, Inc.
- United States v. Reynolds et Ux.
- Daily Income Fund, Inc. v. Fox
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Scott v. Kentucky Parole Board
- Massachusetts v. Feeney
- Tully v. Griffin, Inc.
- Belcher v. Stengel
- Cook v. Hudson
- Pearson v. Dodd
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