Lochner v. New York (1905)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Regents of the Univ. of California v. Bakke (1978)
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
Korematsu v. United States (1944)
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Ruled that state-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
Declared segregated public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson’s "separate but equal" doctrine.
Ruled federal courts could hear redistricting cases, opening the door to the "one person, one vote" principle.
Established the "separate but equal" doctrine, upholding racially segregated public facilities as constitutional.
Struck down a state ban on contraceptives, establishing a constitutional right to privacy within marriage.
Struck down a state law limiting bakers’ work hours, ruling it violated "freedom of contract" — defined the pro-business Lochner era.
Upheld the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a wartime necessity.
Ruled that Black Americans, free or enslaved, could not be citizens, and struck down the Missouri Compromise as unconstitutional.
Established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage nationwide.
Ruled that burning the American flag as political protest is protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment.
Allowed race as one factor in college admissions but ruled strict racial quotas unconstitutional.
Halted the Florida recount, effectively deciding the 2000 presidential election for George W. Bush.
Required states to provide free legal counsel to criminal defendants who cannot afford one.
Established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.
Ruled that students retain First Amendment rights at school, protecting a silent Vietnam War protest.
Ruled that state law had no force within Cherokee Nation territory — a ruling Georgia and President Jackson ignored, leading to the Trail of Tears.
Established the "clear and present danger" test, upholding limits on anti-draft speech during World War I.
Required police to inform suspects of their constitutional rights before custodial interrogation.
Allowed states to regulate private businesses (like grain elevators) that affect the public interest, upholding early Gilded Age regulation.
Ruled that executive privilege is not absolute, forcing President Nixon to turn over Watergate tapes.