Libel and defamation: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Libel and defamation,” part of the First Amendment area.

Legal provisions most often involved

All 36 decisions, newest first

• Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. v. Hoeper
  571 U.S. 237Decided January 27, 20146–3Sonia Sotomayor
• Ulysses Tory v. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
  544 U.S. 734Decided May 31, 20057–2Stephen G. Breyer
• Jeffrey M. Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
  501 U.S. 496Decided June 20, 19917–2Anthony M. Kennedy
• Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co.
  497 U.S. 1Decided June 21, 19907–2William H. Rehnquist
• Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc. v. Connaughton
  491 U.S. 657Decided June 22, 19899–0John Paul Stevens
• Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
  485 U.S. 46Decided February 24, 19888–0William H. Rehnquist
• Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
  477 U.S. 242Decided June 25, 19866–3Byron R. White
• Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. HeppsLaw held unconstitutional
  475 U.S. 767Decided April 21, 19865–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc.
  472 U.S. 749Decided June 26, 19855–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• McDonald v. Smith
  472 U.S. 479Decided June 19, 19858–0Warren E. Burger
• Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc.
  466 U.S. 485Decided April 30, 19846–3John Paul Stevens
• Hutchinson v. Proxmire
  443 U.S. 111Decided June 26, 19798–1Warren E. Burger
• Wolston v. Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
  443 U.S. 157Decided June 26, 19798–1William H. Rehnquist
• Herbert v. Lando
  441 U.S. 153Decided April 18, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Time, Inc. v. Firestone
  424 U.S. 448Decided March 2, 19766–2William H. Rehnquist
• Old Dominion Branch No. 496 v. Austin
  418 U.S. 264Decided June 25, 19746–3Thurgood Marshall
• Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.
  418 U.S. 323Decided June 25, 19747–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc.
  403 U.S. 29Decided June 7, 19715–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Monitor Patriot Co. v. Roy
  401 U.S. 265Decided February 24, 19717–2Potter Stewart
• Time, Inc. v. Pape
  401 U.S. 279Decided February 24, 19718–1Potter Stewart
• Ocala Star-Banner Co. v. Damron
  401 U.S. 295Decided February 24, 19717–2Potter Stewart
• Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Assn., Inc. v. Bresler
  398 U.S. 6Decided May 18, 19708–0Potter Stewart
• Pickering v. Board of Education of Township High School District 205
  391 U.S. 563Decided June 3, 19688–1Thurgood Marshall
• Watts v. Seward School Board
  391 U.S. 592Decided June 3, 19688–1Per curiam
• St. Amant v. Thompson
  390 U.S. 727Decided April 29, 19688–1Byron R. White
• Beckley Newspapers Corp. v. Hanks
  389 U.S. 81Decided November 6, 19678–0Per curiam
• Associated Press v. Walker
  389 U.S. 28Decided October 16, 19679–0Per curiam
• Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts
  388 U.S. 130Decided June 12, 19675–4John M. Harlan II
• Ashton v. Kentucky
  384 U.S. 195Decided May 16, 19669–0William O. Douglas
• Rosenblatt v. Baer
  383 U.S. 75Decided February 21, 19668–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Henry v. Collins
  380 U.S. 356Decided March 29, 19659–0Per curiam
• Garrison v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
  379 U.S. 64Decided November 23, 19649–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• New York Times Co. v. SullivanLaw held unconstitutional
  376 U.S. 254Decided March 9, 19649–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Farmers Educational & Cooperative Union of America v. Wday, Inc.
  360 U.S. 525Decided June 29, 19595–4Hugo L. Black
• Barr v. Matteo
  355 U.S. 171Decided December 9, 19577–2Per curiam
• Beauharnais v. Illinois
  343 U.S. 250Decided April 28, 19525–4Felix Frankfurter

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