Landmark Supreme Court Cases

The most significant US Supreme Court decisions

30 cards · civics

Cards (30)

Front	Back
Marbury v. Madison	1803; established judicial review of federal laws Marshall held courts can void unconstitutional acts, defining the judiciary’s role.
McCulloch v. Maryland	1819; Congress can create a bank; states cannot tax it Broad reading of the Necessary and Proper Clause and federal supremacy.
Dred Scott v. Sandford	1857; enslaved not citizens; Congress can't ban slavery in territories Infamous ruling that deepened sectional conflict before the Civil War.
Plessy v. Ferguson	1896; segregation upheld under 'separate but equal' Later repudiated by Brown; sanctioned Jim Crow laws.
Gitlow v. New York	1925; First Amendment speech applies to states Early incorporation case applying the Bill of Rights via the Fourteenth Amendment.
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette	1943; government can't compel flag salute or pledge in school A landmark on compelled speech and individual conscience.
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer	1952; president can't seize steel mills without Congress Jackson’s concurrence set a framework for assessing executive power.
Brown v. Board of Education	1954; school segregation violates Equal Protection “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”
Mapp v. Ohio	1961; exclusionary rule applies to states Illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible in state courts.
Engel v. Vitale	1962; state-sponsored school prayer unconstitutional Establishment Clause bars official prayers in public schools.
Gideon v. Wainwright	1963; right to counsel for felony defendants States must provide attorneys to indigent defendants facing serious charges.
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan	1964; public officials must prove actual malice in libel Protects robust debate on public issues by raising the defamation bar.
Griswold v. Connecticut	1965; privacy protects contraception for married couples Recognized a right to privacy from “penumbras” of the Bill of Rights.
Miranda v. Arizona	1966; police must warn of right to silence and counsel Origin of “Miranda warnings” before custodial interrogation.
Loving v. Virginia	1967; bans on interracial marriage unconstitutional Equal Protection and Due Process protect the freedom to marry.
Katz v. United States	1967; Fourth Amendment protects reasonable privacy expectations “The Fourth Amendment protects people, not places.” Phone booth case.
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District	1969; students keep speech rights if not disruptive Black armbands protest; schools need evidence of disruption to censor.
Brandenburg v. Ohio	1969; advocacy protected absent incitement of imminent lawless action Replaced “clear and present danger” with the modern incitement test.
New York Times Co. v. United States	1971; prior restraint on Pentagon Papers unjustified Heavy presumption against prior restraints on publication.
Roe v. Wade	1973; abortion right under privacy (overruled 2022) Recognized a trimester framework; overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson.
United States v. Nixon	1974; executive privilege limited; must comply with subpoena No absolute privilege; led to release of Watergate tapes.
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke	1978; racial quotas invalid; race may be one factor Struck down set-asides; allowed holistic consideration of race.
Texas v. Johnson	1989; flag burning is protected speech Government may not prohibit expression simply because it offends.
Employment Division v. Smith	1990; neutral laws may burden religion without exemptions Limited free exercise claims; prompted RFRA’s enactment.
United States v. Lopez	1995; Congress exceeded Commerce Clause in gun-free school zones First major limit on commerce power since the New Deal.
Bush v. Gore	2000; halted Florida recount on Equal Protection grounds Different standards for counting ballots violated equal protection.
District of Columbia v. Heller	2008; individual right to possess firearms Struck D.C. handgun ban; right unconnected to militia service.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission	2010; corporate independent election spending is speech Overruled Austin; upheld disclosure; reshaped campaign finance.
Shelby County v. Holder	2013; invalidated Voting Rights Act coverage formula Ended preclearance for jurisdictions under Section 4(b).
Obergefell v. Hodges	2015; same-sex couples have a right to marry Marriage equality under Due Process and Equal Protection.