Rice v. Santa Fe Elevator Corporation

Supreme Court

331 U.S. 218 (1947)

Relevant factsFree

The Rice grain partnership (Rice) (plaintiff) sued Santa Fe Elevator Corporation (Santa Fe) (defendant), which operated public grain warehouses in Illinois, for violating Illinois regulations enforced by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Santa Fe sought dismissal, arguing the federal United States Warehouse Act (USWA) had displaced the ICC's authority to regulate grain warehousing.

IssueFree

Whether, when resolving a conflict between state and federal law, a court should presume that subjects traditionally regulated by state law are not superseded by federal statute absent Congress's express purpose to supersede them.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

Unlock the full brief

Free accounts read 20 full briefs. No card required.

Start free Log in