Supreme Court decisions of October Term 1972
The Court’s 1972 Term began in October 1972. These are the 186 decisions SCDB records for it, decided between January 15, 1972 and June 25, 1973, during the Burger Court.
186decisions
67%favorable to the petitioner
32%unanimous
26altered precedent or struck a law
By issue area
Most majority opinions
Decided by one vote (33)
- Ricci v. Chicago Mercantile Exchange
- United States v. Kras
- Almota Farmers Elevator & Warehouse Co. v. United States
- United States v. Fuller et Ux.
- Otter Tail Power Co. v. United States
- United States v. Enmons
- Department of Motor Vehicles of California v. Rios
- Illinois v. Somerville
- Linda R. S. v. Richard D.
- Ortwein v. Schwab
- Lavallee v. Delle Rose
- Rosario v. Rockefeller
- San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez
- Mourning v. Family Publications Service, Inc.
- United States v. Russell
- City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal, Inc.
- Chaffin v. Stynchcombe
- Doe v. McMillan
- Goldstein v. California
- Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
- Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton
- Kaplan v. California
- United States v. 12 200-ft. Reels of Super 8mm. Film (Paladini
- United States v. Orito
- Colgrove v. Battin, U.S. District Judge
- Almeida-Sanchez v. United States
- Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
- Cady v. Dombrowski
- Heller v. New York
- United States Department of Agriculture v. MurryLaw held unconstitutional
- Broadrick v. Oklahoma
- Gosa v. Mayden
- Alexander v. Virginia
All decisions, in order
- Richardson v. Morris
- O'Brien v. Brown
- United States v. Louisiana
- Illinois v. Michigan
- California v. Krivda
- Robinson v. HanrahanLaw held unconstitutional
- Murch v. Mottram
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Van Lines
- Ward v. Village of MonroevilleLaw held unconstitutional
- Gottschalk v. Benson
- United States v. Jim
- Johnson v. New York State Education Department
- Evco v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- Webb v. Texas
- Cool v. United States
- California v. Larue
- Union Oil Co. of California v. the San Jacinto
- Tidewater Oil Co. v. United States
- Neil v. Biggers
- Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Granite State Joint Board
- Swenson v. Stidham
- One Lot Emerald Cut Stones and One Ring v. United States
- Dillard v. Industrial Commission of Virginia
- Erlenbaugh v. United States
- Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland
- Heublein, Inc. v. South Carolina Tax Commission
- Ricci v. Chicago Mercantile Exchange
- Couch v. United States
- Bronston v. United States
- Hughes Tool Co. v. Trans World Airlines, Inc.
- Philpott v. Essex County Welfare BoardLaw held unconstitutional
- District of Columbia v. Carter
- United States v. Kras
- American Trial Lawyers Assn. v. New Jersey Supreme Court
- Almota Farmers Elevator & Warehouse Co. v. United States
- United States v. Fuller et Ux.
- Robinson v. Neil
- Goosby v. Osser
- Ham v. South Carolina
- Gomez v. PerezLaw held unconstitutional
- Indiana Employment Security Division v. Burney
- Nebraska v. Iowa
- United States v. Dionisio
- United States v. Mara
- United States v. Glaxo Group Ltd.
- Environmental Protection Agency v. Mink
- Roe v. WadeLaw held unconstitutional
- Doe v. BoltonLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Florida East Coast Railway Co.
- United States v. Chandler
- McGinnis v. Royster
- Chambers v. Mississippi
- Mahan v. HowellLaw held unconstitutional
- Tacon v. Arizona
- Lehnhausen v. Lake Shore Auto Parts Co.Altered precedent
- Otter Tail Power Co. v. United States
- United States v. Enmons
- Morris v. Weinberger
- Michigan v. Ohio
- Department of Motor Vehicles of California v. Rios
- Tillman v. Wheaton-Haven Recreation Assn., Inc.
- United States v. Basye
- Illinois v. Somerville
- Braden v. 30TH Judicial Circuit Court of KentuckyAltered precedent
- Brennan v. Arnheim & Neely, Inc.
- United States v. Falstaff Brewing Corp.
- United States v. First National Bancorporation, Inc.
- Hurtado v. United States
- Bradley v. United States
- Linda R. S. v. Richard D.
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. Mahin
- Ohio v. Kentucky
- Ortwein v. Schwab
- Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri
- Marston v. Lewis
- Burns v. Fortson
- Lavallee v. Delle Rose
- Texas v. Louisiana
- Salyer Land Co. v. Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District
- Associated Enterprises, Inc. v. Toltec Watershed Improvement District
- Rosario v. Rockefeller
- San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez
- Camp v. Pitts
- Ohio Municipal Judges Assn. v. Davis
- Mescalero Apache Tribe v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
- Butz v. Glover Livestock Commission Co., Inc.
- Lemon v. Kurtzman
- Fontaine v. United States
- United States v. Indrelunas
- Brown v. United States
- Davis v. United States
- Tollett v. Henderson
- Employees of the Department of Public Health and Welfare of Missouri v. Department of Public Health and Welfare of Missouri
- Askew v. American Waterways Operators, Inc.
- Hensley v. Municipal Court
- Mourning v. Family Publications Service, Inc.
- Palmore v. United States
- United States v. Russell
- Tonasket v. Washington
- Brown v. Chote
- Federal Power Commission v. Memphis Light
- Preiser v. Rodriguez
- Georgia v. United States
- Gibson v. Berryhill
- Kern County Land Co. v. Occidental Petroleum Corp.
- United States v. Cartwright
- Gaca v. United States
- New Jersey Welfare Rights Organization v. CahillLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal, Inc.
- United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
- Frontiero et Vir v. RichardsonLaw held unconstitutional
- Moor v. County of Alameda
- Federal Maritime Commission v. Seatrain Lines, Inc.
- Gulf States Utilities Co. v. Federal Power Commission
- Gagnon v. ScarpelliLaw held unconstitutional
- McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green
- Hall v. Cole
- Chaffin v. Stynchcombe
- Michigan v. Payne
- National Labor Relations Board v. Boeing Co.
- Booster Lodge No. 405 v. National Labor Relations Board
- School Board of City of Richmond v. State Board of Education of Virginia
- Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee
- Keeble v. United States
- Schneckloth v. Bustamonte
- Cupp v. Murphy
- Doe v. McMillan
- United States v. Bishop
- United States v. State Tax Commission of Mississippi
- United States v. Mason
- United States v. Chicago
- Northcross v. Board of Education of the Memphis City Schools
- Douglas v. Buder
- Strunk v. United States
- Vlandis v. KlineLaw held unconstitutional
- Wardius v. OregonLaw held unconstitutional
- Mattz v. Arnett
- City of Kenosha v. Bruno
- Logue v. United States
- United States v. Nevada
- Dean v. Gadsden Times Publishing Corp.
- Fri v. Sierra Club
- Goldstein v. California
- United States v. Little Lake Misere Land Co., Inc.
- Weinberger v. Hynson
- Ciba Corp. v. Weinberger
- Weinberger v. Bentex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Usv Pharmaceutical Corp. v. Weinberger
- United States v. Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures
- Gaffney v. Cummings
- White v. RegesterLaw held unconstitutional
- White v. WeiserLaw held unconstitutional
- Atchison v. Wichita Board of Trade
- Barnes v. United States
- Gilligan v. Morgan
- Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
- Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton
- Kaplan v. California
- United States v. 12 200-ft. Reels of Super 8mm. Film (Paladini
- United States v. Orito
- Colgrove v. Battin, U.S. District Judge
- Keyes v. School District No. 1
- Almeida-Sanchez v. United States
- United States v. Ash
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. New York
- Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
- New York State Department of Social Services v. Dublino
- Cady v. Dombrowski
- Norwood v. Harrison
- Levitt v. Committee for Public Education & Religious LibertyLaw held unconstitutional
- Heller v. New York
- Roaden v. Kentucky
- United States Department of Agriculture v. MurryLaw held unconstitutional
- United States Department of Agriculture v. MorenoLaw held unconstitutional
- United States Civil Service Commission v. National Association of Letter Carriers
- Broadrick v. Oklahoma
- Sugarman v. DougallLaw held unconstitutional
- Gosa v. Mayden
- In re Griffiths
- Hunt v. McNair
- Sloan v. LemonLaw held unconstitutional
- Committee for Public Education & Religious Liberty v. NyquistLaw held unconstitutional
- Alexander v. Virginia
- Fausner v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
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