Shaffer et al. v. Heitner

Decided June 24, 1977. Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 75-1812 · 433 U.S. 186 (1977) · Cited 2,976 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 7–1.

“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.

• Hanson v. Denckla · 357 U.S. 235 (1958)
• International Shoe Co. v. Washington · 326 U.S. 310 (1945)
• Harris v. Balk · 198 U.S. 215 (1905)
• Sniadach v. Family Finance Corp. of Bay View · 395 U.S. 337 (1969)
• Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. · 339 U.S. 306 (1950)
• Fuentes v. Shevin · 407 U.S. 67 (1972)
• Mitchell v. W. T. Grant Co. · 416 U.S. 600 (1974)
• Continental Grain Co. v. Barge FBL-585 · 364 U.S. 19 (1960)
• Gulf Oil Corp. v. Gilbert · 330 U.S. 501 (1947)
• McGee v. International Life Insurance · 355 U.S. 220 (1957)
• Milliken v. Meyer · 311 U.S. 457 (1941)
• Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn · 420 U.S. 469 (1975)
• Koster v. (American) Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co. · 330 U.S. 518 (1947)
• North Georgia Finishing, Inc. v. Di-Chem, Inc. · 419 U.S. 601 (1975)
• Hess v. Pawloski · 274 U.S. 352 (1927)
• Olberding v. Illinois Central Railroad · 346 U.S. 338 (1953)
• Freeman v. Alderson · 119 U.S. 185 (1886)
• Cort v. Ash · 422 U.S. 66 (1975)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Wolf v. Colorado · 338 U.S. 25 (1949)
• Calero-Toledo v. Pearson Yacht Leasing Co. · 416 U.S. 663 (1974)
• Santa Fe Industries, Inc. v. Green · 430 U.S. 462 (1977)
• Travelers Health Assn. v. Virginia Ex Rel. State Corporation Comm'n · 339 U.S. 643 (1950)
• Schroeder v. City of New York · 371 U.S. 208 (1962)
• International Harvester Co. of America v. Kentucky · 234 U.S. 579 (1914)
• Walker v. City of Hutchinson · 352 U.S. 112 (1956)
• The Lafayette Ins. Co. v. FRENCH · 59 U.S. 404 (1856)
• Philadelphia & Reading Railway Co. v. McKibbin · 243 U.S. 264 (1917)
• McDonald v. Mabee · 243 U.S. 90 (1917)
• Home Insurance v. Dick · 281 U.S. 397 (1930)

Cited by

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

• Burnham v. Superior Court of Cal., County of Marin · 495 U.S. 604 (1990)
• World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson · 444 U.S. 286 (1980)
• Daimler AG v. Bauman · 571 U.S. 117 (2014)
• Allstate Insurance v. Hague · 449 U.S. 302 (1981)
• Mallory v. Norfolk Southern R. Co · 600 U.S. 122 (2023)
• Walden v. Fiore · 571 U.S. 277 (2014)
• Kulko v. Superior Court of Cal., City and County of San Francisco · 436 U.S. 84 (1978)
• Pacific Mutual Life Insurance v. Haslip · 499 U.S. 1 (1991)
• Rush v. Savchuk · 444 U.S. 320 (1980)
• J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro · 564 U.S. 873 (2011)
• Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz · 471 U.S. 462 (1985)
• Calder v. Jones · 465 U.S. 783 (1984)
• Mennonite Board of Missions v. Adams · 462 U.S. 791 (1983)
• Greene v. Lindsey · 456 U.S. 444 (1982)
• Helicopteros Nacionales De Colombia, S. A. v. Hall · 466 U.S. 408 (1984)
• Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts · 472 U.S. 797 (1985)
• Quill Corp. v. North Dakota Ex Rel. Heitkamp · 504 U.S. 298 (1992)
• Healy v. Beer Institute · 491 U.S. 324 (1989)
• Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations, S. A. v. Brown · 564 U.S. 915 (2011)
• Insurance Corp. of Ireland v. Compagnie Des Bauxites De Guinee · 456 U.S. 694 (1982)
• Payne v. Tennessee · 501 U.S. 808 (1991)
• Carlson v. Green · 446 U.S. 14 (1980)
• BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore · 517 U.S. 559 (1996)
• Keeton v. Hustler Magazine, Inc. · 465 U.S. 770 (1984)
• Edgar v. Mite Corp. · 457 U.S. 624 (1982)
• United States v. Morton · 467 U.S. 822 (1984)
• Stafford v. Briggs · 444 U.S. 527 (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).