Landmark Supreme Court Cases and Legal Precedents

The Plessy v. Ferguson case, decided in 1896, upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws as long as the facilities provided for African Americans and whites were "separate but equal." This decision established the legal precedent for the "separate but equal" doctrine, which was later overturned by the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.

The Brown v. Board of Education case, decided in 1954, overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court ruled that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional, paving the way for the desegregation of schools across the United States.

The Loving v. Virginia case, decided in 1967, legalized interracial marriage in the United States. The Court ruled that laws prohibiting interracial marriage violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The Griswold v. Connecticut case, decided in 1965, established the right to privacy, which was later used to legalize abortion in the Roe v. Wade case. The Court ruled that a state law prohibiting the use of contraceptives violated the right to privacy.

The Roe v. Wade case, decided in 1973, legalized abortion in the United States. The Court ruled that a state law prohibiting abortion violated a woman's right to privacy.

The Grutter v. Bollinger case, decided in 2003, upheld the constitutionality of affirmative action programs in higher education. The Court ruled that race could be considered as one factor in admissions decisions, as long as it was not the sole factor.

The Obergefell v. Hodges case, decided in 2015, legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. The Court ruled that a state law defining marriage as between one man and one woman violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena case, decided in 1995, established the principle of "strict scrutiny" for laws that discriminate on the basis of race. The Court ruled that such laws must be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest.

The South Carolina v. Katzenbach case, decided in 1966, upheld the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Court ruled that the Act was a necessary and appropriate measure to combat racial discrimination in voting.

The Crawford v. Marion County Election Board case, decided in 2021, struck down a state law that required voters to show photo identification in order to vote. The Court ruled that the law violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius case, decided in 2012, upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The Court ruled that the individual mandate, which required most Americans to have health insurance, was a valid exercise of Congress's taxing power.

The Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association case, decided in 2011, struck down a state law that banned the sale of video games that were deemed to be "violent." The Court ruled that the law violated the First Amendment's protection of free speech.

The Gregg v. Georgia case, decided in 1976, upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty. The Court ruled that the death penalty was not cruel and unusual punishment, as long as it was applied in a non-arbitrary and non-discriminatory manner.

The Texas v. Johnson case, decided in 1989, struck down a state law that prohibited the burning of the American flag. The Court ruled that the law violated the First Amendment's protection of free speech.

The Buckley v. Valeo case, decided in 1976, upheld the constitutionality of campaign finance regulations. The Court ruled that the government had a legitimate interest in regulating campaign finance in order to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption.