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Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Ruled that African Americans were not citizens and could not sue in federal court; declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Affirmed the supremacy of federal laws over state laws and upheld the constitutionality of the national bank.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, upholding racial segregation.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Established the 'clear and present danger' test for limiting free speech during wartime.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a wartime necessity.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Applied the exclusionary rule to the states, meaning illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Established the principle of 'one person, one vote,' allowing federal courts to hear redistricting cases.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Ruled that official school prayers violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for defendants in criminal cases under the Sixth Amendment.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Established the Miranda rights, requiring police to inform suspects of their rights during arrest.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Protected students’ First Amendment rights to free speech in schools as long as it doesn’t disrupt learning.

New York Times v. US (1971)

Strengthened freedom of the press, ruling that prior restraint (government censorship) is unconstitutional without overwhelming justification.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Ruled that requiring Amish children to attend school beyond the 8th grade violated the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion.

US v. Nixon (1974)

Limited executive privilege; ruled that President Nixon must hand over tapes during the Watergate scandal.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Ruled that racial quotas in college admissions are unconstitutional, but race can be considered as a factor.

New Jersey v. TLO (1985)

Established that schools only need 'reasonable suspicion' (not probable cause) to search students.

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)

Ruled that schools can censor student newspapers if the content is inconsistent with the school’s educational mission.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Declared that burning the American flag is protected free speech under the First Amendment.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Ruled that racial gerrymandering must be held to strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause.

US v. Lopez (1995)

Limited Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause; struck down a federal law banning guns in school zones.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Ended the Florida recount in the 2000 presidential election, effectively awarding the presidency to George W. Bush.

DC v. Heller (2008)

Affirmed an individual’s right to possess firearms under the Second Amendment.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Ruled that political spending by corporations and unions is protected speech under the First Amendment.