National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama Ex Rel. Patterson, Attorney General

Decided June 30, 1958. John Marshall Harlan delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 91 · 357 U.S. 449 (1958) · Cited 2,614 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 9–0.

“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.

• American Communications Assn. v. Douds · 339 U.S. 382 (1950)
• Thomas v. Collins · 323 U.S. 516 (1945)
• De Jonge v. Oregon · 299 U.S. 353 (1937)
• United States v. Rumely · 345 U.S. 41 (1953)
• New York Ex Rel. Bryant v. Zimmerman · 278 U.S. 63 (1928)
• Cantwell v. Connecticut · 310 U.S. 296 (1940)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Palko v. Connecticut · 302 U.S. 319 (1937)
• Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath · 341 U.S. 123 (1951)
• United States v. Harriss · 347 U.S. 612 (1954)
• Schneider v. State (Town of Irvington) · 308 U.S. 147 (1939)
• Near v. Minnesota Ex Rel. Olson · 283 U.S. 697 (1931)
• Murdock v. Pennsylvania · 319 U.S. 105 (1943)
• Gitlow v. New York · 268 U.S. 652 (1925)
• Barrows v. Jackson · 346 U.S. 249 (1953)
• Grosjean v. American Press Co. · 297 U.S. 233 (1936)
• Sweezy v. New Hampshire Ex Rel. Wyman · 354 U.S. 234 (1957)
• Staub v. City of Baxley · 355 U.S. 313 (1958)
• Hovey v. Elliott · 167 U.S. 409 (1897)
• Tileston v. Ullman · 318 U.S. 44 (1943)
• Brinkerhoff-Faris Trust & Savings Co. v. Hill · 281 U.S. 673 (1930)
• Ward v. Board of Commr's of Love Cty. · 253 U.S. 17 (1920)
• Abie State Bank v. Bryan · 282 U.S. 765 (1931)

Cited by

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

• Uphaus v. Wyman · 360 U.S. 72 (1959)
• Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee · 372 U.S. 539 (1963)
• Buckley v. Valeo · 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama Ex Rel. Flowers · 377 U.S. 288 (1964)
• Communist Party of United States v. Subversive Activities Control Bd. · 367 U.S. 1 (1961)
• Branzburg v. Hayes · 408 U.S. 665 (1972)
• Bates v. City of Little Rock · 361 U.S. 516 (1960)
• Singleton v. Wulff · 428 U.S. 106 (1976)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button · 371 U.S. 415 (1963)
• Williams v. Rhodes · 393 U.S. 23 (1968)
• McConnell v. Federal Election Commission · 540 U.S. 93 (2003)
• Bush v. Gore · 531 U.S. 98 (2000)
• Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta · 594 U.S. 595 (2021)
• Cruz v. Arizona · 598 U.S. 17 (2023)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Roberts v. United States Jaycees · 468 U.S. 609 (1984)
• First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti · 435 U.S. 765 (1978)
• Abood v. Detroit Board of Education · 431 U.S. 209 (1977)
• Kusper v. Pontikes · 414 U.S. 51 (1973)
• California Bankers Assn. v. Shultz · 416 U.S. 21 (1974)
• United States v. Robel · 389 U.S. 258 (1967)
• Talley v. California · 362 U.S. 60 (1960)
• Bell v. Maryland · 378 U.S. 226 (1964)
• Reich v. Collins · 513 U.S. 106 (1994)
• National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo · 602 U.S. 175 (2024)
• Warth v. Seldin · 422 U.S. 490 (1975)
• Elrod v. Burns · 427 U.S. 347 (1976)
• Summers v. Earth Island Institute · 555 U.S. 488 (2009)
• Shelton v. Tucker · 364 U.S. 479 (1960)
• Whalen v. Roe · 429 U.S. 589 (1977)

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).