There are 15 Supreme Court Cases that you must become an expert in during the course of the year. You must know key background information about the case, what part of the Constitution (clause or amendment) is involved in the dispute, what the outcome of the case was, and why the case was influential.
This case was instrumental in establishing the Supreme Court's power of judicial review. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case is federalism related and was instrumental in establishing the early supremacy of the national government. It legalized the use of the necessary and proper clause, dramatically expanding the power of the federal government in the process. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case was instrumental in placing restrictions on freedom of speech. Speech creating a "clear and present danger" could be limited by the government. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case is one of the most influential cases in US history. This infamous case declared segregation in public schools as a violation of the 14th amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case involved a dispute over the size of legislative districts. It established the famous principle of "one person, one vote", meaning that legislative districts should include roughly the same number of citizens so one person's vote is not worth more than another's. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case involved religion in schools and determined that public schools could not implement organized prayer during the course of the school day. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case revolved about criminal rights and resolved that all accused criminals in felony cases have the right to an attorney. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case was significant because it involved the free speech rights of students at school. It helped to clarify that students do not give up all of their Constitutional rights when entering the school building each day. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case revolved around the ability to the government to engage in prior restraint, the ability to stop a person or group from printing or saying something. In this case, the Nixon administration was attempting to stop the printing of the Pentagon Papers. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case centered on whether the state government's rules mandating education to a certain age violated the freedom of religion rights possessed by the Amish. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This is the infamous case that legalized a woman's right to have an abortion. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case centered around gerrymandering and the way in which Congressional districts were drawn. This case specifically focused on whether districts could be drawn in a way to enhance the voting power of racial minority groups. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case is related to federalism and the Gun Free School Zones Act. It's one of the few times in which the Supreme Court has deemed the federal government's use of the necessary and proper clause to be unconstitutional. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case centers on first amendment rights and campaign finance reform legislation. It specifically focused on whether the restrictions imposed on the campaign spending of interest groups and corporations by the McCain-Feingold Act were constitutional. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.
This case centered around the 2nd amendment and whether Chicago's very strict handgun registration procedures were a violation of a right to own a gun. Learn more by checking out the case summary and the review video.