Required Supreme Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Judicial Review, Article III

A judicial appointee sued when his commission, signed by an outgoing President, was not delivered by the new administration.

This landmark case established the Court's power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Federalism, Necessary and Proper Clause, Supremacy Clause

A state attempted to tax a federal banking institution operating within its borders.

Federal agencies are immune from state taxation, and Congress possesses implied powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

First Amendment, Free Speech Limits

Anti-war leaflets were distributed during wartime, encouraging resistance to the military draft.

Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment during times of war.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

14th Amendment, Equal Protection Clause

A group of African American students were required to attend segregated public schools, separated from white students under state laws.

Racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause, declaring “separate but equal” unconstitutional and overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Equal Protection, 14th Amendment, Redistricting

A state had not redrawn voting districts for 60 years despite population shifts, giving certain areas disproportionate representation.

Federal courts can hear challenges to unfair district maps, setting the stage for the "one person, one vote" principle.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

First Amendment, Establishment Clause

A state education policy required recitation of an official prayer in public classrooms.

Government-authored prayer in public schools violates the separation of church and state, regardless of the prayer's content.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Sixth Amendment, Right to Counsel

A defendant facing felony charges was forced to represent himself after being denied a public defender.

All criminal defendants facing serious charges must be provided legal representation if they cannot afford it.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

First Amendment, Free Speech in Schools

Students wearing symbolic items to protest an ongoing war were suspended from school.

Political expression by students is protected unless it substantially disrupts the educational environment.

New York Times v. United States (1971)

First Amendment, Prior Restraint

Newspapers published classified military documents against government wishes.

The government faces an extremely high burden when attempting to block publication of material in advance.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

First Amendment, Free Exercise Clause

A religious community objected to mandatory high school attendance based on their traditional beliefs.

States must sometimes provide exemptions to education laws when they substantially burden sincere religious practices.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Equal Protection, 14th Amendment, Racial Gerrymandering

A state created unusually shaped electoral districts to increase minority representation.

Drawing district lines predominantly based on racial considerations triggers strict judicial scrutiny.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

Commerce Clause, Federalism

A federal law criminalized possession of an item near educational facilities without showing economic impact.

Congress cannot regulate non-economic activities using Commerce Clause powers without demonstrating substantial effects on interstate commerce.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

First Amendment, Campaign Finance

A nonprofit organization challenged restrictions on broadcasting a political documentary before an election.

Organizations cannot be restricted from independent political spending based on their corporate identity.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Second Amendment, 14th Amendment, Incorporation

A city ordinance effectively banned private ownership of certain weapons within municipal limits.

Constitutional protections for firearm ownership apply to regulations at all levels of government, not just federal laws.