McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Established supremacy of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws over state laws
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
established the principle of judicial review—the power of the federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Race-based school segregation violates the equal protection clause
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Opened the door to equal protection challenges to redistricting and the development of the "one person, one vote" doctrine by ruling that challenges to redistricting did not raise "political questions" that would keep federal courts from reviewing such challenges(tenessee)
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
School sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Guaranteed the right to an attorney for the poor or indigent
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
Public school students have the right to wear black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
Bolstered the freedom of the press, establishing a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security (prior restraint)
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
Compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Extended the right of privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
Legislative redistricting must be conscious of race and ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (north carolina)
United States v. Lopez (1995)
Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is applicable to the states
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment