United States v. Lopez (1995)
Regents of the Univ. of California v. Bakke (1978)
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Created the three-part "Lemon Test" courts use to decide whether a law violates the Establishment Clause.
Struck down a federal gun law as exceeding Congress's Commerce Clause power — the first such limit on that power in decades.
Ruled that Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause, and that states cannot tax federal institutions.
Established the "separate but equal" doctrine, ruling that racially segregated public facilities were constitutional as long as they were equal in quality.
Recognized a constitutional right to abortion under the right to privacy (later overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson in 2022).
Ruled that federal courts can hear redistricting cases, opening the door to the "one person, one vote" principle.
Allowed race to be considered as one factor in college admissions but ruled that strict racial quotas are unconstitutional.
Required states to provide free legal counsel to criminal defendants who cannot afford one.
Established the power of judicial review, giving federal courts the authority to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.
Ruled that a state's compulsory education law cannot override parents' First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.
Ruled that corporations and unions have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited money on independent political advocacy.
Ruled that the government could not use prior restraint to stop the press from publishing the classified Pentagon Papers.
Established that students retain their First Amendment rights at school unless their expression substantially disrupts learning.
Established the "clear and present danger" test, ruling that speech creating a serious, imminent threat is not protected by the First Amendment.
Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson.
Applied the exclusionary rule to state courts, barring illegally obtained evidence from criminal trials.
Required police to inform suspects of their constitutional rights ("Miranda rights") before custodial interrogation.
Applied ("incorporated") the Second Amendment right to bear arms to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Ruled that congressional districts drawn predominantly by race, even to help a minority group, must satisfy strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause.
Ruled that state-sponsored prayer in public schools, even if voluntary, violates the Establishment Clause.