Goldberg, Commissioner of Social Services of the City of New York v. Kelly et al.

Decided March 23, 1970. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 62 · 397 U.S. 254 (1970) · Cited 5,926 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 5–3.

“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.

• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union, Local 473 v. McElroy · 367 U.S. 886 (1961)
• Sniadach v. Family Finance Corp. of Bay View · 395 U.S. 337 (1969)
• Gideon v. Wainwright · 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
• Powell v. Alabama · 287 U.S. 45 (1932)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Rochin v. California · 342 U.S. 165 (1952)
• Armstrong v. Manzo · 380 U.S. 545 (1965)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• In Re Murchison. · 349 U.S. 133 (1955)
• Yakus v. United States · 321 U.S. 414 (1944)
• Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath · 341 U.S. 123 (1951)
• Speiser v. Randall · 357 U.S. 513 (1958)
• Greene v. McElroy · 360 U.S. 474 (1959)
• King v. Smith · 392 U.S. 309 (1968)
• Hannah v. Larche · 363 U.S. 420 (1960)
• Slochower v. Board of Higher Ed. of New York City · 350 U.S. 551 (1956)
• Grannis v. Ordean · 234 U.S. 385 (1914)
• Ohio Bell Telephone Co. v. Public Utilities Commission · 301 U.S. 292 (1937)
• Wong Yang Sung v. McGrath · 339 U.S. 33 (1950)
• Adamson v. California · 332 U.S. 46 (1947)
• Perkins v. Lukens Steel Co. · 310 U.S. 113 (1940)
• Ewing v. Mytinger & Casselberry, Inc. · 339 U.S. 594 (1950)
• Interstate Commerce Commission v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad · 227 U.S. 88 (1913)
• Willner v. Committee on Character and Fitness, Appellate Div. of Supreme Court of NY, First Judicial Dept. · 373 U.S. 96 (1963)
• United States & Interstate Commerce Commission v. Abilene & Southern Railway Co. · 265 U.S. 274 (1924)
• Federal Communications Commission v. WJR, Goodwill Station, Inc. · 337 U.S. 265 (1949)
• Wichita Railroad & Light Co. v. Public Utilities Commission of Kansas · 260 U.S. 48 (1922)
• Goldsmith v. United States Board of Tax Appeals · 270 U.S. 117 (1926)
• Nash v. Florida Industrial Commission · 389 U.S. 235 (1967)

Cited by

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

• Arnett v. Kennedy · 416 U.S. 134 (1974)
• Mathews v. Eldridge · 424 U.S. 319 (1976)
• Atkins v. Parker · 472 U.S. 115 (1985)
• Morrissey v. Brewer · 408 U.S. 471 (1972)
• Fuentes v. Shevin · 407 U.S. 67 (1972)
• Kerry v. Din · 576 U.S. 86 (2015)
• Board of Regents of State Colleges v. Roth · 408 U.S. 564 (1972)
• McGautha v. California · 402 U.S. 183 (1971)
• Richardson v. Perales · 402 U.S. 389 (1971)
• Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill · 470 U.S. 532 (1985)
• Lassiter v. Department of Social Servs. of Durham Cty. · 452 U.S. 18 (1981)
• Wolff v. McDonnell · 418 U.S. 539 (1974)
• Parratt v. Taylor · 451 U.S. 527 (1981)
• American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan · 526 U.S. 40 (1999)
• Boddie v. Connecticut · 401 U.S. 371 (1971)
• Bell v. Burson · 402 U.S. 535 (1971)
• Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales · 545 U.S. 748 (2005)
• Parham v. J. R. · 442 U.S. 584 (1979)
• Richardson v. Belcher · 404 U.S. 78 (1971)
• Wyman v. James · 400 U.S. 309 (1971)
• Selective Service System v. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group · 468 U.S. 841 (1984)
• California Department of Human Resources Development v. Java · 402 U.S. 121 (1971)
• Gutierrez v. Saenz · 606 U.S. 305 (2025)
• Evitts v. Lucey · 469 U.S. 387 (1985)
• Goss v. Lopez · 419 U.S. 565 (1975)
• Mitchell v. W. T. Grant Co. · 416 U.S. 600 (1974)
• Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform · 431 U.S. 816 (1977)
• Memorial Hospital v. Maricopa County · 415 U.S. 250 (1974)
• Walters v. National Assn. of Radiation Survivors · 473 U.S. 305 (1985)
• O'Bannon v. Town Court Nursing Center · 447 U.S. 773 (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).