Adair v. United States
John Marshall Harlan
Syllabus

Adair v. United States, 208 U.S. 161 (1908), is a United States Supreme Court case which upheld "yellow-dog" contracts that forbade workers from joining labor unions. The decision reaffirmed the doctrine of freedom of contract which was first recognized by the Court in Allgeyer v. Louisiana (1897). For this reason, Adair is often seen as defining what has come to be known as the Lochner era, a period in American legal history in which the Supreme Court tended to invalidate legislation aimed at regulating business.

841821Adair v. United States — SyllabusJohn Marshall Harlan

United States Supreme Court

208 U.S. 161

Adair  v.  United States

 Argued: October 29, 30, 1907. --- Decided: January 27, 1908

Messrs. Benjamin D. Warfield and Henry L. Stone for plaintiff in error.

[Argument of Counsel from page 162 intentionally omitted]

Attorney General Bonaparte and Mr. William R. Harr for defendant in error.

[Argument of Counsel from pages 163-166 intentionally omitted]

Mr. Justice Harlan delivered the opinion of the court:

Notes

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This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

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