Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Sheehan
439 U.S. 89 · Decided December 4, 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
Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Sheehan was decided on December 4, 1978 unanimously (9–0). 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 “Judicial review of agency actions” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 439 U.S. 89 · 99 S. Ct. 399 · 58 L. Ed. 2d 354 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 168
- Docket number
- 78-344
- Decided
- December 4, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Judicial review of agency actions
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Railway Labor 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. | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| 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 |
Full case caption
Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Sheehan
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-009, docket 1978-009-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Railway Labor Act
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers v. Foust
- Ellis v. Brotherhood of Railway
- Andrews v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co.Altered precedent
- Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union
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Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Long Island Rail Road Co. v. Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Co.
- Carey v. Wynn
- Hunter v. Dean
- Mobay Chemical Corp. v. Costle
- Parklane Hosiery Co., Inc. v. Shore
- California v. Arizona
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