Judicial Branch Supreme Court Cases

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

The New York State Board of Regents authorized a voluntary, non-denominational prayer to be recited in public schools. The prayer was challenged by a group of parents, who argued that it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

The Court ruled 7-0 in favor of Yoder, finding Wisconsin’s law unconstitutional as applied to the Amish.

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District(1969)

During the Vietnam War, Mary Beth Tinker and other students wore black armbands to school to protest the war. The school suspended them, claiming that the armbands disrupted the learning environment. The students sued, arguing that their First Amendment rights had been violated.

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

The Nixon administration sought to prevent the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers, a classified study detailing U.S. involvement in Vietnam, citing national security concerns.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

He was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, which prohibited attempts to interfere with military operations, including the draft. He argued that the Act violated his First Amendment right to free speech.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with felony breaking and entering in Florida. He could not afford an attorney and requested a court-appointed lawyer.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

After the Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which struck down a federal handgun ban, McDonald and others challenged Chicago’s handgun ban, arguing it violated their Second Amendment rights.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

The case consolidated several lawsuits against public school segregation, primarily focusing on the experience of African American students who were denied admission to public schools due to state segregation laws.