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Janus v. American Federation of State

138 S. Ct. 2448 · Decided June 27, 2018 · 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

Janus v. American Federation of State was decided on June 27, 2018 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union or closed shop” in the Unions area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
138 S. Ct. 2448 · 201 L. Ed. 2d 924 · 2018 U.S. LEXIS 4028
Docket number
16-1466
Decided
June 27, 2018
Argued
February 26, 2018
Court era
Roberts Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Reversed and remanded
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
Vote
5–4
Majority opinion
Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Opinion assigned by
John G. Roberts Jr.
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Issue area
Unions
Legal provision
First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
Type of law
Constitutional amendment
Altered precedent
Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
Held unconstitutional
A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
Decision direction (SCDB)
Conservative what this means

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31

SCDB identifiers: case 2017-045, docket 2017-045-01.

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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