Supreme Court Case Briefs

Landmark Cases

Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803)

Established judicial review, affirmed the Constitution’s supremacy over Congress, and Chief Justice Marshall’s opinion affirmed the Court’s authority

McCulloch v. Maryland, 7 U.S. (4 Wheat.) 316 (1819)

Established the supremacy of federal law, arose from a state’s attempt to tax a federal bank, and confirmed Congress’ authority to create a national bank

Gibbons v. Ogden 22 U.S. (9 Wheat.) 1 (1824)

Clarified the federal government’s power over interstate commerce, stemmed from a steamboat monopoly dispute, and affirmed Congress’s authority to regulate trade between states

Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832)

Affirmed tribal sovereignty, originated from a missionary’s arrest for residing in Cherokee territory without a state permit, and underscored the federal government’s authority in matters involving Native American tribes

Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. (19 How.) 393 (1857)

Denied African Americans citizenship, emerged from a slave’s lawsuit for freedom after residing in free territories, and exacerbated tensions over slavery in the United States

Ex Parte McCardle, 74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 506 (1869)

Narrowed the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction, arose from a challenge to Reconstruction-era military authority, and demonstrated Congress’s power to limit the Court’s appellate jurisdiction

Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.) 162 (1874)

Upheld states’ rights to deny women the right to vote, originated from a woman’s attempt to register to vote in Missouri, and highlighted the limitations of the 14th Amendment in addressing women’s suffrage

In Re Neagle, 135 U.S. 1 (1890)

Affirmed the right of the federal government to protect Supreme Court justices, arose from a U.S. Marshal’s killing of an assailant targeting a justice, and clarified the scope of federal authority in protecting federal officers

Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896)

Upheld “separate but equal” racial segregation, originated from a challenge to segregated train cars in Louisiana, and set a precedent for institutionalized racial discrimination in the United States

Lochner v. New York, 198 U.S. 45 (1905)

Struck down a state law limiting bakery employees’ work hours, originated from a baker’s challenge to the law, and highlighted tensions between state police powers and individual liberty under the Fourteenth Amendment

Muller v. Oregon, 208 U.S. 412 (1908)

Upheld Oregon’s limit on women’s work hours, originated from a laundry’s challenge to the law, and marked a milestone in labor and gender equality laws

Hammer v. Dagenhart, 247 U.S. 251 (1918)

Struck down a federal law regulating child labor, originated from a father’s challenge to the law, and underscored limits on federal power over state matters

Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919)

Upheld restrictions on free speech during wartime, originated from the distribution of anti-draft leaflets, and established the “clear and present danger” test for limiting speech

Gitlow v. New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925)

Upheld restrictions on free speech, originated from the distribution of socialist literature, and marked an early incorporation of the First Amendment to apply to the states

National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel, 301 U.S. 1 (1937)

Upheld the Wagner Act, originated from unfair labor practice charges against the company, and affirmed Congress’s power to regulate labor relations under the Commerce Clause

Wickard v. Fillburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942)

Upheld federal regulation of agricultural production, originated from a farmer’s exceeding of wheat production quotas, and expanded Congress’s authority under the Commerce Clause

Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944)

Upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, originated from a man’s refusal to comply with evacuation orders, and has been widely criticized as a violation of civil liberties

Smith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649 (1944)

Struck down the use of white primaries, originated from a challenge to Texas’ discriminatory voting practices, and marked a significant victory for voting rights and the dismantling of Jim Crow laws

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

Overturned racial segregation in public schools, originated from African American families’ challenge to segregated education, and was a landmark decision in the civil rights movement

Lassiter v. Northhampton, 360 U.S. 45 (1959)

Upheld a literacy test for voting, originated from a man’s challenge to the test’s constitutionality, and highlighted the ongoing struggle for voting rights in the United States

Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421(1962)

Struck down state-sponsored prayer in public schools, originated from a challenge to New York’s prayer policy, and reaffirmed the separation of church and state in public education

Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962)

Established the principle of “one person, one vote,” originated from a challenge to Tennessee’s legislative districting, and marked a significant step in the application of the Equal Protection Clause to voting rights

Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)

Established the right to counsel for criminal defendants, originated from a man’s request for an attorney during trial, and ensured fairer legal proceedings for those unable to afford representation

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc v. United States, 379 U.S. 241 (1964)

Upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, originated from a motel’s refusal to accept African American guests, and affirmed Congress’s power to regulate private businesses under the Commerce Clause to combat racial discrimination

Reynolds v. Simms, 377 U.S. 533 (1964)

Established the principle of “one person, one vote” for state legislative districts, originated from challenges to Alabama’s apportionment system, and ensured more equal representation for citizens in state legislatures

Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965)

Struck down a state law prohibiting the use of contraceptives, originated from a clinic’s distribution of contraceptives, and established a right to privacy in marital relations

South Carolina v. Katzenbach, 383 U.S. 301 (1966)

Upheld the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, originated from South Carolina’s challenge to federal voting rights oversight, and affirmed Congress’s authority to enforce the 15th Amendment to prevent racial discrimination in voting

Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966)

Established the Miranda rights, originated from a man’s confession without being informed of his rights, and ensured that individuals are aware of their rights against self-incrimination and to legal counsel during police interrogations

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

Upheld students’ rights to free speech in schools, originated from students’ protest of the Vietnam War with armbands, and set a precedent for protecting students’ First Amendment rights in educational settings

Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)

Legalized abortion nationwide, originated from a woman’s challenge to Texas’ abortion law, and established a woman’s right to choose abortion under the constitutional right to privacy

Richardson v. Ramirez, 418 U.S. 24 (1974)

Upheld a California law disenfranchising felons, originated from a challenge to the law’s constitutionality, and affirmed states’ rights to restrict voting rights based on criminal history

United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974)

Resulted in a unanimous decision against President Nixon, requiring him to hand over the Watergate tapes, and established the principle that the President is not above the law

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978)

Involved a challenge to affirmative action in university admissions, originated from a white applicant’s claim of racial discrimination, and resulted in a complex decision that both upheld affirmative action but set limits on its implementation

New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985)

Established the legality of searches by school officials, originated from a student’s challenge to a search of her purse, and set standards for searches in schools that balance students’ privacy rights with the school’s need for a safe environment

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988)

Allowed schools to censor student newspapers, originated from a school’s decision to remove articles from a student-run newspaper, and established that schools can regulate student speech in school-sponsored activities

Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989)

Upheld the right to burn the American flag as symbolic speech, originated from a man’s protest during the 1984 Republican National Convention, and affirmed that such actions are protected under the First Amendment

Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990)

Allowed states to deny unemployment benefits to individuals fired for using illegal drugs for religious purposes, originated from two Native Americans’ use of peyote in a religious ceremony, and limited the application of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment

United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995)

Struck down the Gun-Free School Zones Act, originated from a student’s arrest for carrying a gun near a school, and limited Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause

Miller v. Johnson, 515 U.S. 900 (1995)

Ruled against racial gerrymandering, originated from a challenge to Georgia’s redistricting plan, and set limits on the use of race in drawing congressional districts

Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997)

Allowed a sexual harassment lawsuit against a sitting President to proceed, originated from a woman’s allegations against President Clinton, and established that the President is not immune from civil lawsuits for actions taken before taking office

Bush v. Gore 531 U.S. 98 (2000)

Decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, originated from a dispute over the recount in Florida, and effectively awarded Florida’s electoral votes to George W. Bush, making him President

United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000)

Struck down part of the Violence Against Women Act, originated from a woman’s challenge to the law’s provision allowing civil suits for gender-motivated violence, and limited Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause

Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003)

Struck down sodomy laws, originated from a police entry into a private residence, and established that intimate consensual sexual conduct is protected under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005)

Upheld the government’s power of eminent domain for economic development, originated from a challenge to the taking of private property for a redevelopment project, and sparked debate over property rights and the scope of government authority

Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005)

Upheld federal enforcement of marijuana laws, originated from a challenge to the federal government’s authority over state medical marijuana laws, and expanded Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce

District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008)

Affirmed an individual’s right to possess firearms, originated from a challenge to Washington D.C.’s handgun ban, and established that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to bear arms for self-defense

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, 553 U.S. 181 (2008)

Upheld Indiana’s voter ID law, originated from a challenge to the law’s requirement for photo identification at polling places, and addressed issues of voter fraud and voting rights

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010)

Allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns, originated from a challenge to restrictions on campaign spending by corporations, and expanded the concept of corporate personhood in political speech

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. 519 (2012)

Upheld the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate as a tax, originated from a challenge to the law’s constitutionality, and affirmed Congress’s power to levy taxes to support the general welfare

Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387 (2012)

Struck down parts of Arizona’s immigration law, originated from a challenge to the state’s authority to enforce immigration laws, and clarified the division of powers between the federal government and states regarding immigration enforcement

United States v. Windsor, 570 U.S. 744 (2013)

Struck down the Defense of Marriage Act’s (DOMA) definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, originated from a challenge to the law’s denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples, and paved the way for federal recognition of same-sex marriages

Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013)

Struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, originated from a challenge to the law’s pre-clearance requirements for certain states with a history of voting discrimination, and changed the landscape of voting rights enforcement in the United States

Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015)

Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, originated from a challenge to state bans on same-sex marriage, and established that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriages

United States v. Texas, 579 U.S. ___ (2016)

Involved a challenge to President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, originated from Texas and other states’ lawsuit against the federal government, and resulted in a tied decision by the Supreme Court, effectively blocking the implementation of the immigration policies

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, 579 U.S. ___ (2016)

Struck down Texas’ restrictive abortion laws, originated from a challenge to the law’s requirements for abortion clinics and providers, and set a precedent for evaluating the constitutionality of similar laws in other states

Trump v. Hawaii, 585 U.S. ___ (2018)

Upheld the Trump administration’s travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries, originated from a challenge to the ban’s constitutionality, and affirmed the President’s broad authority over immigration and national security

Janus v. AFSCME, 585 U.S. ___ (2018)

Ruled that non-union members cannot be required to pay union fees, originated from a challenge to mandatory union fees for public employees, and established that such fees violate the First Amendment rights of non-union workers

South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 585 U.S. ___ (2018)

Allowed states to collect sales tax from online retailers, originated from a challenge to South Dakota’s law requiring online retailers to collect sales tax, and expanded states’ ability to collect sales tax from online purchases

Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, 584 U.S. ___ (2018)

Upheld Ohio’s voter purge process, originated from a challenge to the state’s practice of removing inactive voters from the rolls, and affirmed the state’s authority to maintain accurate voter registration lists

Rucho v. Common Cause, 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

Held that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts, originated from a challenge to North Carolina’s congressional district map, and effectively limited the federal judiciary’s role in addressing partisan gerrymandering

Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. ___ (2020)

Held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, originated from cases of employees who were fired for being gay or transgender, and extended workplace protections to LGBTQ+ individuals nationwide

June Medical Services v. Russo, 591 U.S. ___ (2020)

Struck down a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, originated from a challenge to the law’s constitutionality, and reaffirmed the precedent set in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt regarding the undue burden standard for abortion restrictions