In the 1970 Supreme Court case Ehlert v. United States, the court ruled on a matter involving conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War. Robert Ehlert had been classified as eligible for military service in 1966 but did not apply for conscientious objector status until he received his induction notice in 1968. He argued that his beliefs crystallized after his initial classification and thus, should be considered by local draft boards at any time before induction into military service. However, Selective Service regulations stated that such claims could only be made before receiving an induction notice unless caused by circumstances beyond the control of the registrant. The Supreme Court upheld these regulations with a unanimous decision against Ehlert's claim stating that it was reasonable to require individuals to make their objections known at an early stage rather than waiting until they receive an order to report for duty. The court reasoned this would prevent potential abuse of system where people might seek reclassification simply because they have been called up for service.

In the dissenting opinion for EHLERT v. UNITED STATES, Justice Douglas argued that the majority's decision was a departure from previous Supreme Court rulings regarding conscientious objector status. He contended that it was unfair to deny Ehlert his claim because he had not been properly informed of when he could file for such status and therefore missed the deadline set by Selective Service regulations. Furthermore, Douglas criticized the majority's reliance on administrative convenience as justification for their ruling, stating that this should not take precedence over an individual’s constitutional rights. He also pointed out inconsistencies in how different local draft boards interpreted and applied rules related to conscientious objection claims which further complicated matters for individuals like Ehlert who were seeking this status.