Landmark Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Under Chief Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court of the United States held that ONLY the Supreme Court of the United States has the power to declare laws unconstitutional. Established judicial review.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

the Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

the Supreme Court upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. The Court's broad interpretation of the Constitution's commerce clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

..., ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves (or their descendants,[2] whether or not they were slaves) were not protected by the Constitution and could never be U.S. citizens.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

..., Seperate but equal facilities based upon race is constitutional

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

..., Court decision that upheld as constitutional for the interment of more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese descent in encampments during World War II.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

..., ruled separate but equal facilties were unconstitutional

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

..., Established exclusionary rule; illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court; Warren Court's judicial activism.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

..., Flag-burning is symbolic speech with a political purpose and is protected by 1st Amendment.

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1983)

..., Administrators may edit the content of school newspapers.

The principal of Hazelwood East High School edited two articles in the school paper The Spectrum that he deemed inappropriate. The student authors argued that this violated their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that administrators can edit materials that reflect school values.

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

..., Supreme court case in which it was decided that a student may be searched if there is "reasonable ground" for doing so.

Regents of CA v. Bakke (1978)

..., Bakke denied admission to UC Med School b/c special program for minorities; H: struck down program; R: failed strict scrutiny; Blackmuns concurring opinion-"to get beyond racism, must take account of race. treat same person equally by treating them differently"

U.S. v. Nixon (1974)

..., Key supreme court ruling on power of the president, finding that there is no absolute constitutional executive privilege to allow a president to refuse to comply with a court order to produce information needed in a criminal trial.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

..., Abortion rights fall within the privacy implied in the 14th amendment

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

..., Guaranteed a student's right to protest (wearing armbands).

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

..., all defendants must be informed of legal rights before they are arrested