Williams–yulee v. the Florida Bar
575 U.S. 433 · Decided April 29, 2015 · 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
Williams–yulee v. the Florida Bar was decided on April 29, 2015 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Campaign spending” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 575 U.S. 433 · 135 S. Ct. 1656 · 191 L. Ed. 2d 570 · 2015 U.S. LEXIS 2983
- Docket number
- 13-1499
- Decided
- April 29, 2015
- Argued
- January 20, 2015
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Campaign spending
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Dissent | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Majority | |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Majority |
Full case caption
Williams–yulee v. the Florida Bar
SCDB identifiers: case 2014-055, docket 2014-055-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Campaign spending”
- McCutcheon v. FECLaw held unconstitutional
- American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Steve BullockLaw held unconstitutional
- Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club Pac v. Ken BennettLaw held unconstitutional
- Thompson v. Hebdon
- Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Davis v. FECLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Reed v. Town of GilbertLaw held unconstitutional
- Walker v. Texas Division
- Harris v. QuinnLaw held unconstitutional
- McCullen v. CoakleyLaw held unconstitutional
- Lane v. Franks
- Heffernan v. City of Paterson
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Holt v. Hobbs
- Dep't of Homeland Sec. v. Maclean
- Reed v. Town of GilbertLaw held unconstitutional
- Walker v. Texas Division
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