Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America and Canada v. Milivojevich
426 U.S. 696 · Decided June 21, 1976 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America and Canada v. Milivojevich was decided on June 21, 1976 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Free exercise of religion” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 426 U.S. 696 · 96 S. Ct. 2372 · 49 L. Ed. 2d 151 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 69
- Docket number
- 75-292
- Decided
- June 21, 1976
- Argued
- March 22, 1976
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Free exercise of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent |
Full case caption
Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America and Canada et al. v. Milivojevich et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-139, docket 1975-139-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
- Wooley v. Maynard et Ux.Law held unconstitutional
- McDaniel v. PatyLaw held unconstitutional
- Jones v. Wolf
- Wisconsin v. YoderLaw held unconstitutional
- Cruz v. Beto
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Zorach v. Clauson
- Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
- Trinity Lutheran Church v. ComerLaw held unconstitutional
- Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
- Espinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Buckley v. ValeoLaw held unconstitutional
- Time, Inc. v. Firestone
- Hudgens v. National Labor Relations BoardAltered precedent
- McKinney v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
- Greer v. Spock
- Kelley v. Johnson
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