US Supreme Court Cases

Marbury V Madison (1803)

Forms the basis for the exercise of Judicial Review

Bush V Gore (2000)

Resolved a dispute about the 2000 election that allowed Bush to become president, direct involvement in politics

Plessy V Ferguson (1896)

Ruled segregation constitutional and 'separate but equal'

Brown V Board of Education (1954)

Ruled school segregation unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, set a precedent chipped away at segregation

Town of Greece V Galloway (2014)

Ruled that legislative bodies have right to begin meetings with prayer, 1st Amendment - tension between freedom of and from religion

Burwell V Hobby Lobby Stores (2014)

Ruled that a provision of the Affordable Care Act making family owned businesses pay for contraceptive insurance violated religious freedom, protected 1st Amendment, question of whether companies have rights

Snyder V Phelps (2011)

Declared protesting at funerals constitutional under 1st Amendment, question of hate speech versus free speech

McDonald V City of Chicago (2016)

Ruled that Americans have fundamental right to arms, upheld 2nd Amendment

Glossip V Gross (2015)

Ruled lethal injections didn't violate 8th Amendment, blow for anti-death penalty campaign

Roe V Wade (1973)

Ruled that abortion rights fell under 14th Amendment, landmark case, highly politicised

Gonzales V Cahart (2007)

Upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act chipped away at Roe V Wade, shift to SC conservatism

Whole Woman's Health V Hellerstedt (2013)

Declared two Texas restrictions on abortion unconstitutional, politicised case (Obama tweeted in support)

Obergefell V Hodges (2015)

Declared bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, ruling had a quasi-legislative effect

National Federation of Independent Business V Sibelius (2012)

Upheld the Affordable Care Act, regulated Congress's powers, interfered in politicised issue

Rasul V Bush (2004)

Ruled that foreign Guantanamo Bay detainees could access US Federal Courts, blow to Bush's anti-terror program

Boumediene V Bush (2008)

Held that court procedures for Guantanamo Bay detainees were inadequate, involved SC in military affairs

Miranda V Arizona (1966)

Resulted in a ruling that specified a code of conduct for police interrogations of criminal suspects held in custody, upheld 5th Amendment

Texas V Johnson (1989)

Invalidated prohibitions on desecrating the US flag

USA V Nixon (1974)

Ordered Nixon to hand over tapes, limited power of the President to claim Executive privilege

Clinton V New York City (1998)

Ruled Line Veto unconstitutional, limited power of the President

Gratz V Bollinger and Grutter V Bollinger (2003)

First ruled University of Michigan's Affirmative Action program unconstitutional, but then ruled its Law school's program constitutional

Fisher V University of Texas (2013 and 2016)

Initially ruled that the University of Texas's Affirmative Action program should be scrutinised, later upheld the program

Engel V Vitale (1962)

Ruled it unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools. Highlights conflicts of religion within First Amendment.

Meredith V Jefferson County Board of Education (2007)

Ruled it unconstitutional to assign students to schools solely to achieve racial balance

Shelby County V Holder (2013)

Struck down parts of Voting Rights Act and allows states to use some voting restrictions.

Einstadt V Baird (1972)

Ruled that unmarried women can access contraception.

Citizens United V Federal Election Commission (2010)

Overturned part of a 2002 law and ruled that spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.

DC V Heller (2008)

Struck down a Washington DC ordinance that banned handguns, upheld individual right to bear arms under the second amendment.

Hamdan V Rumsfeld (2006)

Declares that enemy combatants have habeas corpus rights, and international rules of war (Geneva Convention) may be enforced in U.S. federal court