Key Supreme Court Cases by Constitutional Amendment

A collection of flashcards summarizing key Supreme Court cases categorized by constitutional amendments.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

A Supreme Court case that ruled state-sponsored prayer in public schools is unconstitutional under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)

Established the Lemon Test, which determines whether a law violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

A case that ruled Amish children could not be placed under compulsory education past 8th grade due to their religious beliefs.

Schenck v. US (1919)

Held that speech creating a 'clear and present danger' is not protected by the First Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community Schools (1969)

Protected students' rights to free speech in schools, ruling that students do not lose their constitutional rights at the school gate.

Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)

Established that inflammatory speech is protected under the First Amendment unless it incites imminent lawless action.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Held that flag burning is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

New York Times v. US (1971)

Strengthened freedom of the press, ruling that the government could not block the publication of classified documents.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

DC v. Heller (2008)

Ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Established the exclusionary rule, preventing illegally obtained evidence from being used in court.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Acknowledged the right to counsel, ruling that states are required to provide legal counsel to defendants who cannot afford an attorney.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Established Miranda rights, requiring individuals in custody to be informed of their rights to an attorney and against self-incrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of 'separate but equal'.

Brown v. Board of Education I (1954)

Ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US (1964)

Ruling that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was constitutional and upheld the prohibition of racial discrimination in public accommodations.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Recognized a constitutional right to privacy, ruling against a law prohibiting contraceptives.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Legalized abortion nationwide, establishing a woman's right to choose under the right to privacy.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Established the principle of one person, one vote, ruling that legislative districts must be roughly equal in population.

Korematsu v. US (1944)

Upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as an wartime necessity.

US v. Nixon (1974)

Limited the power of the president by ruling that the president is not above the law.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Resolved the 2000 presidential election, ruling that recounting votes in Florida was unconstitutional.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

Declared that African Americans were not citizens and had no standing to sue in federal court.