Baker v. General Motors Corp.
478 U.S. 621 · Decided July 2, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Baker v. General Motors Corp. was decided on July 2, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 478 U.S. 621 · 106 S. Ct. 3129 · 92 L. Ed. 2d 504 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 137
- Docket number
- 85-117
- Decided
- July 2, 1986
- Argued
- April 2, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- National Labor Relations Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Baker et al. v. General Motors Corp. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-158, docket 1985-158-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Wardair Canada Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue
- Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg
- Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
- Public Service Commission of Maryland v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
- Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
- Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
Cases on the same legal provision: National Labor Relations Act
- International Longshoremen's Association v. Davis
- National Labor Relations Board v. Financial Institution Employees of America
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Fall River Dyeing & Finishing Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Longshoremen's Assn.
- Pattern Makers' League of North America v. National Labor Relations Board
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi
- United States v. Maine
- Wisconsin Department of Industry v. Gould Inc.
- Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
- Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
- Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
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