Bernhardt v. Polygraphic Company of America, Inc.

Decided January 6, 1956. William Orville Douglas delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 49 · 350 U.S. 198 (1956) · Cited 783 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Erie Railroad v. Tompkins · 304 U.S. 64 (1938)
• Guaranty Trust Co. v. York · 326 U.S. 99 (1945)
• Red Cross Line v. Atlantic Fruit Co. · 264 U.S. 109 (1924)
• Shanferoke Coal & Supply Corp. v. Westchester Service Corp. · 293 U.S. 449 (1935)
• Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Electric Manufacturing Co. · 313 U.S. 487 (1941)
• Wilko v. Swan · 346 U.S. 427 (1953)
• Township of Hillsborough v. Cromwell · 326 U.S. 620 (1946)
• Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway v. Browning · 310 U.S. 362 (1940)
• Burchell v. Marsh · 58 U.S. 344 (1855)
• National City Bank of NY v. Republic of China · 348 U.S. 356 (1955)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Prima Paint Corp. v. Flood & Conklin Mfg. Co. · 388 U.S. 395 (1967)
• Allied-Bruce Terminix Cos., Inc. v. Dobson · 513 U.S. 265 (1995)
• Southland Corp. v. Keating · 465 U.S. 1 (1984)
• Volt Info. Sciences, Inc. v. Bd. of Trustees of Leland Stanford Jr. U. · 489 U.S. 468 (1989)
• Salve Regina College v. Russell · 499 U.S. 225 (1991)
• Commissioner v. Estate of Bosch · 387 U.S. 456 (1967)
• Byrd v. Blue Ridge Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. · 356 U.S. 525 (1958)
• New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira · 586 U.S. 105 (2019)
• Atkinson v. Sinclair Refining Co. · 370 U.S. 238 (1962)
• U. S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles · 400 U.S. 351 (1971)
• Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc. · 473 U.S. 614 (1985)
• Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co. · 415 U.S. 36 (1974)
• Stewart Organization, Inc. v. Ricoh Corp. · 487 U.S. 22 (1988)
• Hanna v. Plumer · 380 U.S. 460 (1965)
• Scherk v. Alberto-Culver Co. · 417 U.S. 506 (1974)
• Barrentine v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc. · 450 U.S. 728 (1981)
• Gooding v. Wilson · 405 U.S. 518 (1972)
• Circuit City Stores, Inc. v. Adams · 532 U.S. 105 (2001)
• Republic Steel Corp. v. Maddox · 379 U.S. 650 (1965)
• Semtek International Inc. v. Lockheed Martin Corp. · 531 U.S. 497 (2001)
• Mastrobuono v. Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc. · 514 U.S. 52 (1995)
• International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America v. Hoosier Cardinal Corp. · 383 U.S. 696 (1966)
• Lindsey v. Normet · 405 U.S. 56 (1972)
• Phillips v. Washington Legal Foundation · 524 U.S. 156 (1998)
• Drake Bakeries Inc. v. Local 50, American Bakery & Confectionery Workers International · 370 U.S. 254 (1962)
• Vance v. Universal Amusement Co. · 445 U.S. 308 (1980)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).