SCOTUS Cases

Engel v. Vitale

A 1962 Supreme Court case that ruled it unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools, violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

A 1972 Supreme Court case that held that the state could not compel Amish children to attend school past the eighth grade, as it violated their First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion.

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District

A 1969 Supreme Court case that affirmed students' rights to free speech in public schools, ruling that students could wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam War as long as it did not disrupt the educational process.

Schenk v. US

A 1919 Supreme Court case that established the 'clear and present danger' test for restrictions on free speech, ruling that speech creating a clear and present danger of significant evil is not protected by the First Amendment.

New York Times Co. v. US

A 1971 Supreme Court case that upheld the right of the press to publish the Pentagon Papers without prior restraint, reinforcing the First Amendment's protection of freedom of the press.

McDonald v. Chicago

A 2010 Supreme Court case that held that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Gideon v. Wainwright

A 1963 Supreme Court case that ruled that the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of counsel is applicable to state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment, ensuring that defendants have the right to an attorney.

Brown v. Board

A 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional, effectively overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and ending legal segregation in public schools.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Established that the federal government has "implied powers" from the Constitution in the Necessary and Proper clause. This strengthened the federal government.

United States v. Lopez

Declared that Gun Free School Zones Act was unconstitutional because education had nothing to do with commerce and that the national government was overstepping its boundaries into state control.

Baler v. Carr

The "one person, one vote" standard was created for legislative redistricting. Also influenced all the other states to reapportion, which increased the political power of urban areas and reduced the power of rural areas.

Shaw v. Reno

The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that redistricting based on race must be held to a standard of strict scrutiny under the equal protection clause.

Marbury v. Madison

Case in which the supreme court first asserted the power of Judicial review in finding that the congressional statue expanding the Court's original jurisdiction was unconstitutional