SCOTUS LANDMARK CASES

Marbury v Madison (1803)

established the principle of judicial review and significantly increased the power of the Supreme Court

McCulloch v Maryland (1819)

expanded federal power through the doctrine of implied powers

United States v Nixon (1974)

ruled that the president is not above the law and limited executive privilege

Youngstown Sheet & Tube v Sawyer (1952)

limited presidential power during wartime and blocked Truman’s seizure of steel mills

Brown v Board of Education (1954)

ended racial segregation in public schools by overturning “separate but equal”

Plessy v Ferguson (1896)

established the “separate but equal” doctrine that legalised segregation

Loving v Virginia (1967)

legalised interracial marriage across the United States

Regents v Bakke (1978)

allowed affirmative action but ruled that strict racial quotas were unconstitutional

Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard (2023)

significantly restricted affirmative action in university admissions in 2023

Baker v Carr (1962)

established the principle of “one person, one vote” in electoral representation

Citizens United v FEC (2010)

ruled that corporate political spending is protected under the First Amendment

Bush v Gore (2000)

effectively decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election

Tinker v Des Moines (1969)

protected students’ free speech rights in schools

Texas v Johnson (1989)

ruled that flag burning is protected as free speech under the First Amendment

New York Times v United States (1971)

protected freedom of the press during the publication of the Pentagon Papers

Engel v Vitale (1962)

ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools was unconstitutional

Roe v. Wade (1973)

established a constitutional right to abortion

Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022)

overturned the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v Wade

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

established an individual constitutional right to bear arms under the Second Amendment

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

legalised homosexual marriage nationwide across the United States