Skidmore v. Swift & Co.’s Empirical Analysis
323 U.S. 134 · 1944
Citation profile
3,813 federal appellate · 987 district · 491 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 9,259 later decisions (221 by the Supreme Court) — most recently January 2026 · most notably Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1984), Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson (1986)
3,813 federal appellate · 987 district · 491 state decisions — followed in 45 states
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Appellate journey
reviewedSkidmore v. Swift & Co. (from Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals)
Relationships
Relies on Kirschbaum v. Walling US Arsenal Bldg Corporation · Walling v. Jacksonville Paper Co. · Armour & Co. v. Wantock · Skidmore v. Swift & Co.
Cited together with Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · United States v. Mead Corp. · Christensen v. Harris County · General Electric Co. v. Gilbert · Udall v. Tallman
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 9,259 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“We consider that the rulings, interpretations and opinions of the Administrator under this Act, while not controlling upon the courts by reason of their authority, do constitute a body of experience and informed judgment to which courts and litigants may properly resort for guidance. The weight of such a judgment in a particular case will depend upon the thoroughness evident in its consideration, the validity of its reasoning, its consistency with earlier and later pronouncements, and all those factors which give it power to persuade, if lacking power to control.”
386 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“The law does not impose an arrangement upon the parties. It imposes upon the courts the task of finding what the arrangement was.”
56 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“are a mix of various foliage planted in ceramic or wicker baskets. .See id. . During the summer months when Ortiz was taking care of Wingerden's lawn he had no other duties in the greenhouse unless there were plants on vehicles for shipping. . Defendant objects to the court's consideration of the interpretive bulletin of the Wage and Hour Administrator, 29 C.F.R. § 780 . However, the Supreme Court has held that interpretive bulletins provide a “practical guide to employers and employees” and,”
4 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.