Landmark Supreme Court Cases and Constitutional Law

Vocabulary practice flashcards defining landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, key constitutional amendments, and foundational legal tests.

Marbury v. Madison 1803

Established judicial review after John Marshall determined that original jurisdiction policies prevented cases from going straight to the Supreme Court without first proceeding through lower courts.

Baron v Baltimore 1833

Ruled that the Constitution's protections only applied to the federal government and not to state governments, an issue later addressed by the 14th Amendment.

Gitlow v. New York 1925

Upheld the conviction of an individual distributing socialist pamphlets advocating for the overthrow of the government, leading the Supreme Court to formulate the clear and present danger test.

Clear and present danger test

A standard used to examine whether spoken or published words create an immediate danger, rendering them unprotected by speech guarantees if they do.

McCulloch v. Maryland 1819

Addressed federalism and the division of powers, affirming that Congress is authorized to make laws that are necessary and proper and prohibiting Maryland from taxing the Second Bank of the United States.

Exclusionary rule

A 4th Amendment rule stating that evidence obtained without a valid warrant cannot be used to charge an individual and must be thrown out.

Fruit of the poisonous tree

A legal principle dictating that an illegal or bad search invalidates any resulting evidence, requiring that evidence to be thrown out.

Good faith exception

An exception allowing police to use evidence obtained with a flawed warrant if the officers were acting in good faith, such as when a judge signs in the wrong location.

Mapp v Ohio 1961

Applied the exclusionary rule to state courts after police conducted a warrantless search using a fake warrant and seized illegal pornography in areas too small to conceal the fugitive suspect.

Gideon v Wainwright 1963

Established that refusing legal counsel to an indigent defendant in a burglary trial violates the 6th and 14th Amendments, ensuring defendants receive legal representation.

Miranda v Arizona 1966

Reinforced that individuals must be explicitly informed of their constitutional rights upon arrest and interrogation before any confession can be admitted in court.

Schenck v U.S. 1919

Ruled that criticizing the military draft and encouraging resistance failed the clear and present danger test, rendering the speech unprotected by the 1st Amendment.

Furman v Georgia 1972

Prompted a nationwide moratorium on the death penalty due to arbitrary and racially disproportionate sentencing, leading to statutory definitions separating degrees of murder and manslaughter.

First Degree Murder

A homicide that is premeditated, planned, and thought out, making it eligible for the death penalty.

Second Degree Murder

A homicide where the perpetrator intended to kill but without premeditation, punishable by life imprisonment rather than execution.

Voluntary Manslaughter

A crime of passion occurring when an individual is distressed, reacts, and lashes out, resulting in a death.

Involuntary Manslaughter

An unlawful killing that occurs by accident.

Gregg v Georgia 1976

Reinstated executions across the nation by upholding the death sentence for a hitchhiker convicted of robbing and murdering two motorists.

Tinker v Des Moines 1969

Affirmed that students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of expression at the schoolhouse door after three students were suspended for wearing black armbands protesting the Vietnam War.

Tinker Test

A standard establishing that student expression is protected within a school setting as long as it does not disrupt the educational process.

In loco parentis

A legal concept meaning 'in place of the parents,' holding faculty and teachers legally responsible for students from door to door.

Brandenburg v Ohio 1969

Ruled that hate speech by groups such as the KKK is protected under the 1st Amendment as long as it is not targeted toward inciting imminent acts of violence.

New Jersey v T.L.O 1985

Held that public school officials do not require probable cause or a search warrant to search student property, requiring only reasonable suspicion.

Vernonia v Acton 1995

Permitted mandatory, non-invasive urinalysis drug testing for student athletes, reasoning that extracurriculars are voluntary and urine is non-invasive bodily waste.

Plessy v Ferguson 1896

Upheld racial segregation on public transportation rail cars under the separate but equal doctrine.

Seperate but Equal doctrine

A doctrine permitting racial separation provided the facilities and accommodations supplied to each group remain equal.

Dred Scott v Sandford 1857

Ruled that an enslaved person remained property without citizenship, denying them legal standing to initiate a lawsuit in federal court.

Brown v Board of Education 1954-1955

Overturned the separate but equal doctrine in public education, ruling that racially segregated schools are inherently unequal.

Wallace v Jaffree

Struck down a school-organized moment of silence designated for voluntary prayer, upholding the 1st Amendment's separation of church and state.

Minersville v Gobitis 1940

Ruled in favor of a school district requiring daily flag salutes and recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance, despite the religious objections of Jehovah's Witnesses.

West Virginia v Barnette 1943

Overturned the Minersville decision, holding that students cannot be compelled to stand or salute the flag if it violates their religious principles.

United States v Wong Kim Ark 1898

Affirmed under the 14th Amendment that any individual born in the United States possesses birthright citizenship and cannot be denied re-entry into the country.

Roe v Wade 1973

Recognized a woman's constitutional right to choose an abortion and maintain bodily autonomy, while permitting individual states to establish regulatory parameters.

Planned Parenthood of Southeast Pennsylvania v Casey 1992

Upheld state-mandated informed consent, a 24-hour waiting period, and parental notification for minors seeking an abortion, while invalidating spousal notification.

Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health 2022

Overturned Roe v. Wade, removing the federal constitutional entitlement to abortion and returning abortion regulations directly to individual states.

Trump v Barbara 2026

A 5-4 decision determining that an executive order attempting to eliminate birthright citizenship for individuals seeking asylum was unconstitutional.

Heart of Atlanta Motel v U.S. 1964

Upheld the Civil Rights Act under the 14th Amendment, barring public accommodations such as motels from refusing rooms to Black patrons.

Wisconsin v. Yoder 1972

Held that Amish families could not be prosecuted for pulling their children out of public schools after the 8th grade due to religious freedom protections.

Miller v California 1973

Established legal standards for regulating obscene material mailed to the public that lacks constitutional free speech protections.

The Miller Test

A three-part obscenity test evaluating whether material lacks political, artistic, literary, and scientific value (P.A.L.S.), violates community decency standards, and exclusively appeals to prurient interests.

Ingraham v Wright 1977

Decided that corporal punishment in public schools does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, leaving decisions on paddling policies to state discretion.

U.S. v Virginia 1996

A 7-1 Supreme Court decision declaring that the male-only admissions policy of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Santa Fe Independent School District v Jane Doe

Held that student-led prayer broadcast over a public address system at school football games was unconstitutional because attendees paid for tickets to a public school event.

Kent v United States

Ruled that juvenile offenders must be granted formal due process hearings within the juvenile court system before being waived to adult court.

Hazelwood School District v Kuhleimer

Ruled that school administrators may exercise editorial control over articles in school newspapers if the content causes potential trauma or disrupts students.

Engel v Vitale 1962

Ruled that reciting any state-mandated prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, even if nondenominational and not aimed at a specific faith.

West Side Community Schools v Mergens

Determined that taxpayer-funded public schools that allow after-school non-curriculum clubs must provide equal building access to student religious clubs.

Grutter v Bollinger

Upheld affirmative action programs intended to diversify university admissions and workplaces, provided that explicit racial quotas are not utilized.

Deshaney v Winnebago County Social Services

Ruled that county social service agencies could not be held constitutionally liable for failing to remove a child from an abusive home setting.

U.S. v Nixon 1974

Ruled that executive privilege is not absolute and does not grant a president immunity from complying with judicial subpoenas for audio tapes in a criminal investigation.

Griswold v Conneticut 1965

Struck down the Comstock law restricting married couples from obtaining contraception, affirming an implicit right to marital privacy.

Bush v Gore 2000

Halted manual election recounts across Florida due to varying ballot standards and time constraints, securing the presidency for George W. Bush.

Baker v Carr 1962

Determined that federal courts have the authority to review legislative redistricting, ordering Tennessee to correct unequal apportionment between rural and urban districts.

Citizens United v FEC

Held that independent political campaign advertisements by outside groups are permissible provided the group does not directly coordinate with a candidate's campaign.

NYSRPA v Bruen

Ruled that requiring citizens to provide an individualized cause or special justification to obtain a concealed carry pistol license violates the 2nd Amendment.