Williams v. Austrian
331 U.S. 642 · Decided June 16, 1947 · 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
Williams v. Austrian was decided on June 16, 1947 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Bankruptcy” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 331 U.S. 642 · 67 S. Ct. 1443 · 91 L. Ed. 1718 · 1947 U.S. LEXIS 2848
- Docket number
- 850
- Decided
- June 16, 1947
- Argued
- April 10, 1947
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Fred M. Vinson
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Bankruptcy
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Bankruptcy Code or Bankruptcy Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Frank Murphy | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Dissent | |
| Justice Wiley B. Rutledge | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Williams et al. v. Austrian et Al., Trustees
SCDB identifiers: case 1946-116, docket 1946-116-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Bankruptcy”
- Fahey v. Mallonee
- United States National Bank v. Chase National Bank
- Gardner v. New Jersey
- Vanston Bondholders Protective Committee v. Green
- Comstock v. Group of Institutional Investors
- Leiman v. Guttman
Cases on the same legal provision: Bankruptcy Code or Bankruptcy Act
- Insurance Group Committee v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co.
- Illinois ex Rel. Gordon v. Campbell
- Maggio v. Zeitz
- Goggin v. Division of Labor Law Enforcement of California
- Callaway v. Benton
- Mosser v. Darrow
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Co. v. WalkerAltered precedent
- Champlin Refining Co. v. United States
- United States v. Howard P. Foley Co., Inc.
- Richfield Oil Corp. v. State Board of EqualizationLaw held unconstitutional
- American Power & Light Co. v. Securities & Exchange Commission
- Vanston Bondholders Protective Committee v. Green
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