SupremeCourtDB
109 landmark Supreme Court cases from Marbury v. Madison in 1803 to today. Holdings, votes, reasoning, and historical impact, organized by era and issue area across civil rights, free speech, federalism, criminal procedure, and executive power.
Key Topics
Marbury v. Madison
William Marbury petitioned for a writ of mandamus after his midnight judicial commission went undelivered by the incoming Jefferso...
McCulloch v. Maryland
Maryland taxed the Baltimore branch of the Second Bank of the United States, and bank cashier James McCulloch refused to pay. Chie...
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott, enslaved in Missouri, sued for freedom after residing in free states and territories with his owner. Chief Justice Tan...
Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer Plessy, seven-eighths white, was arrested for sitting in a whites-only railcar under Louisiana law in a deliberate test case...
Brown v. Board of Education
Black children in five states were denied admission to white schools under compulsory segregation laws. Chief Justice Warren wrote...
Miranda v. Arizona
Ernesto Miranda confessed to kidnapping and rape after two hours of police interrogation without being told of his rights. Chief J...
Roe v. Wade
Jane Roe challenged a Texas law criminalizing abortion except to save the mother's life. Justice Blackmun, for a 7-2 majority, hel...
United States v. Nixon
The Watergate special prosecutor subpoenaed tapes and documents after cover-up indictments, and Nixon claimed absolute executive p...
Obergefell v. Hodges
Same-sex couples from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee challenged marriage bans after United States v. Windsor struck the f...