Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison

is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, giving courts the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Cohens vs. Virginia

was a Supreme Court case that affirmed the Court’s authority to review and overturn state court decisions in criminal matters involving federal laws, reinforcing federal judicial supremacy.

Dartmouth college vs. woodward

was a Supreme Court case that protected private contracts from state interference by ruling that the New Hampshire legislature could not alter Dartmouth College’s charter, reinforcing the sanctity of contracts under the Contract Clause of the Constitution.

Gibbons vs. Ogden

was a landmark Supreme Court case that ruled only the federal government has the power to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, limiting state powers in economic matters crossing state lines.

McCulloch vs. Maryland

was a landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the implied powers of Congress by ruling that the federal government could create a national bank, and that states cannot tax federal institutions, reinforcing the supremacy of federal law over state law.

Commonwealth v. Hunt

was a Massachusetts Supreme Court case that ruled labor unions were legal and that workers had the right to organize and strike for better conditions, as long as their actions were peaceful and lawful.

Dred Scott V. Sanford

was a U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled African Americans were not U.S. citizens and had no right to sue in federal court, and that Congress could not ban slavery in U.S. territories—deepening national tensions over slavery and pushing the country closer to the Civil War.

Plessy v. Ferguson

was a U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal,” ruling that segregated public facilities were constitutional as long as they were equal in quality—legitimizing Jim Crow laws for decades.

Lochner v. New York

was a U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down a New York law limiting bakers’ working hours, ruling it violated the freedom of contract protected by the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause, and marking the start of the Lochner Era, where many labor regulations were overturned.

Muller v. Oregon

was a U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld an Oregon law limiting women’s work hours, ruling that such laws were constitutional because of women’s perceived physical differences—marking a victory for labor reform but also reinforcing gender stereotypes.

Korematsu v. U.S.

was a landmark Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II.

Brown v. Board of Education

was a landmark Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II.

Miranda v. Arizona

the Supreme Court ruled that individuals in custody must be informed of their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and their Sixth Amendment right to an attorney before being interrogated.

Roe v. Wade

was a landmark Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's constitutional right to an abortion based on the right to privacy. This ruling invalidated many state laws restricting abortion. However, it was overturned in 2022 by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, returning abortion regulation to individual states.

Webster v. Reproductive Health services

was a significant Supreme Court case that upheld a Missouri law imposing restrictions on abortions. While it did not explicitly overturn Roe v. Wade, it allowed states more leeway in regulating abortion, signaling a shift in the Court's approach to abortion rights.