Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional. This case arose when William Marbury sued Secretary of State James Madison for failing to deliver his judicial commission.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Strengthened federal power by ruling that states cannot tax the national bank. The Court upheld the Necessary and Proper Clause, allowing Congress to create a national bank even though it wasn't explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. (1819)

United States v. Lopez

Limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause by ruling that the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded congressional authority, as carrying a gun in school was not an economic activity affecting interstate commerce.

Engel v. Vitale

Struck down a New York law that allowed a state-sponsored, voluntary prayer in public schools, ruling it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. (1962)

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Ruled that requiring Amish children to attend school past eighth grade violated their religious freedom under the First Amendment, emphasizing the importance of religious exemptions in education.(1972)

Tinker v. Des Moines

Protected students’ right to free speech by ruling that wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment, as long as it didn’t cause significant disruption in school.(1969)

New York Times Co. v. United States

Ruled that the government couldn’t use "prior restraint" (censorship before publication) to prevent newspapers from publishing the Pentagon Papers, strengthening freedom of the press. (1971)

Schenck v. United States

 Upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that distributing anti-draft pamphlets during wartime posed a "clear and present danger" to national security and was not protected free speech. (1919)

Gideon v. Wainwright

Required states to provide attorneys to defendants who couldn’t afford one, incorporating the Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel into state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment. (1963)

Roe v. Wade

Established a woman’s right to an abortion under the right to privacy, ruling that states couldn’t ban abortions during the first trimester and set regulations for later stages. (1973)

McDonald v. Chicago

Incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to state and local governments, striking down Chicago's handgun ban and emphasizing individual gun rights. (2010)

Brown v. Board of Education

Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson by ruling that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (1954)

Citizens United v. FEC

Ruled that corporations and unions could spend unlimited money on political campaigns, arguing that restricting their spending violated free speech under the First Amendment. (2010)

Baker v. Carr

Allowed federal courts to review redistricting cases and established "one person, one vote," ensuring equal representation in legislative districts. (1961)

Shaw v. Reno

 Ruled that congressional districts drawn primarily based on race violated the Equal Protection Clause, limiting racial gerrymandering in elections. (1993)