California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement v. Dillingham Construction, N. A., Inc.
519 U.S. 316 · Decided February 18, 1997 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement v. Dillingham Construction, N. A., Inc. was decided on February 18, 1997 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Clarence Thomas 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
- 519 U.S. 316 · 117 S. Ct. 832 · 136 L. Ed. 2d 791 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 691
- Docket number
- 95-789
- Decided
- February 18, 1997
- Argued
- November 5, 1996
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Concurrence | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, et al. v. Dillingham Construction, N. A., Inc., and Manuel J. Arceo, Dba Sound Systems Media
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-020, docket 1996-020-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
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- Sandra Jean Dale Boggs v. Thomas F. Boggs
- Marian Johnson v. Kristine L. Fankell
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Cases on the same legal provision: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Inter-Modal Rail Employees Association v. Atchison
- Lockheed Corporation v. Paul L. Spink
- Varity Corporation v. Charles Howe
- D. Grant Peacock v. Jack L. Thomas
- Bonnie L. Geissal v. Moore Medical Corporation
- Hughes Aircraft Company v. Stanley I. Jacobson
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Barbara A. de Buono v. Nysa-Ila Medical and Clinical Services Fund, Etc.
- Sandra Jean Dale Boggs v. Thomas F. Boggs
- Marian Johnson v. Kristine L. Fankell
- United States of America v. State of Alaska
- Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho, Etc.
- Jay Printz v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
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