Wisconsin Department of Industry v. Gould Inc.
475 U.S. 282 · Decided February 26, 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
Wisconsin Department of Industry v. Gould Inc. was decided on February 26, 1986 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun 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
- 475 U.S. 282 · 106 S. Ct. 1057 · 89 L. Ed. 2d 223 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 13
- Docket number
- 84-1484
- Decided
- February 26, 1986
- Argued
- December 9, 1985
- 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
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- 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)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations et al. v. Gould Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-045, docket 1985-045-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
- Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
- Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi
- Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
- Public Service Commission of Maryland v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
- Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg
Cases on the same legal provision: National Labor Relations Act
- National Labor Relations Board v. Financial Institution Employees of America
- International Longshoremen's Association v. Davis
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Longshoremen's Assn.
- Pattern Makers' League of North America v. National Labor Relations Board
- National Labor Relations Board v. Action Automotive, Inc.
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi
- United States v. Maine
- Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
- Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
- Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
- Public Service Commission of Maryland v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
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