Supreme Court Cases and Medical Law

This set of flashcards covers landmark Supreme Court cases regarding civil rights, criminal justice, and federalism, as well as federal regulations concerning emergency medical transfers.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

A case ruling that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate," protecting symbolic speech such as black armbands.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

A case that established a constitutional right to abortion, which served as a precedent until it was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

A ruling that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

A case ruling that states are required under the Sixth Amendment to provide legal counsel for criminal defendants who are unable to afford an attorney.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Established that detained criminal suspects must be informed of their constitutional rights to an attorney and against self-incrimination before police questioning.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

A controversial ruling that enslaved people and their descendants were not citizens and could not sue in federal court, which hastened the Civil War.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A case that upheld state-mandated racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, legally validating Jim Crow laws.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

A landmark case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional and violates the Equal Protection Clause.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The case that established the doctrine of judicial review, affirming the Supreme Court's authority to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A ruling that Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and established the principle of national supremacy, preventing states from taxing federal instrumentalities.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

A case that clarified the Commerce Clause, granting the federal government exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce.

EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)

A strict federal law regulating interfacility transfers, prohibiting the transfer of an unstable patient unless a physician signs a certificate stating the medical benefits outweigh the risks.

Interfacility transfer

Known clinically as the decision to "ship" a patient, this process is based on a structured workflow balancing immediate medical needs with hospital resources.