Landmark cases. 77 decisions, 1793 to now.

The decisions most often taught as settling, changing or reversing a constitutional question. Each lists the question the Court answered, what it held, the vote, and what happened to it later.

23unanimous

22decided 5–4

7later overruled

5answered by amendment

These counts describe this collection, which was chosen for significance, not at random. They are not a measure of the Court as a whole.

1793Chisholm v. GeorgiaCan a citizen of one state sue another state in federal court?4–1Judicial powerSuperseded by amendment 1803Marbury v. MadisonCan the Supreme Court refuse to apply an act of Congress that conflicts with the Constitution?4–0Judicial power 1819McCulloch v. MarylandCould Congress charter a national bank, and could a state tax it?7–0Federal and state power 1824Gibbons v. OgdenCould New York grant a monopoly over steamboat traffic between states?6–0Federal and state power 1832Worcester v. GeorgiaCould Georgia apply its laws within Cherokee Nation territory?5–1Federal and state power 1857Dred Scott v. SandfordCould a person of African descent whose ancestors were enslaved be a citizen with standing to sue in federal court?7–2Citizenship and immigrationSuperseded by amendment 1866Ex parte MilliganCould a civilian be tried by military commission where civilian courts were open?9–0War and national security 1873Slaughter-House CasesDid a Louisiana slaughterhouse monopoly violate the Fourteenth Amendment rights of excluded butchers?5–4Equal protection 1875Minor v. HappersettDid the Fourteenth Amendment give women citizens the right to vote?9–0Voting and electionsSuperseded by amendment 1883Civil Rights CasesCould Congress bar racial discrimination by private businesses such as inns and theaters?8–1Equal protection 1886Yick Wo v. HopkinsDid San Francisco violate equal protection by enforcing a laundry ordinance only against Chinese operators?9–0Equal protection 1889Chae Chan Ping v. United StatesCould Congress bar the return of Chinese laborers who had left the country with certificates permitting reentry?9–0Citizenship and immigration 1895Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan & Trust Co.Was the federal income tax of 1894 a direct tax that had to be apportioned among the states?5–4Federal and state powerSuperseded by amendment 1896Plessy v. FergusonDid a Louisiana law requiring separate railway cars by race violate the Fourteenth Amendment?7–1Equal protectionOverruled 1898United States v. Wong Kim ArkWas a man born in San Francisco to Chinese parents a citizen by birth?6–2Citizenship and immigration 1905Lochner v. New YorkCould New York limit bakers to sixty hours of work a week?5–4Liberty and privacyReasoning repudiated 1918Hammer v. DagenhartCould Congress bar goods made with child labor from interstate commerce?5–4Federal and state powerOverruled 1919Schenck v. United StatesDid convictions under the Espionage Act for leaflets opposing the draft violate the First Amendment?9–0Speech and press 1919Abrams v. United StatesCould leaflets opposing American intervention in Russia be punished under the Sedition Act of 1918?7–2Speech and press 1925Gitlow v. New YorkCould New York punish advocating the violent overthrow of government?7–2Speech and press 1927Buck v. BellCould Virginia compel sterilization of people it deemed “feeble-minded”?8–1Liberty and privacy 1927Whitney v. CaliforniaCould California punish membership in an organization that advocated violent change?9–0Speech and pressOverruled 1931Near v. MinnesotaCould a state shut down a newspaper in advance as a public nuisance?5–4Speech and press 1932Powell v. AlabamaWere the Scottsboro defendants denied due process when tried for a capital crime without meaningful counsel?7–2Criminal justice 1935A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United StatesCould Congress delegate the writing of industry codes to the President under the National Industrial Recovery Act?9–0Federal and state power 1937West Coast Hotel Co. v. ParrishCould Washington State set a minimum wage for women?5–4Liberty and privacy 1940Minersville School District v. GobitisCould a public school expel children who refused, on religious grounds, to salute the flag?8–1ReligionOverruled 1941United States v. DarbyCould Congress set wages and hours for workers producing goods for interstate commerce?9–0Federal and state power 1942Wickard v. FilburnCould Congress limit wheat a farmer grew for use on his own farm?9–0Federal and state power 1943West Virginia State Board of Education v. BarnetteCould public schools compel students to salute the flag?6–3Speech and press 1943Hirabayashi v. United StatesCould a wartime curfew be applied to people of Japanese ancestry?9–0War and national security 1944Korematsu v. United StatesWas the wartime exclusion of people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast constitutional?6–3War and national securityReasoning repudiated 1944Ex parte EndoCould the government continue to detain a citizen it conceded was loyal?9–0War and national security 1951Dennis v. United StatesDid convicting Communist Party leaders under the Smith Act violate the First Amendment?6–2Speech and press 1952Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. SawyerCould President Truman seize the nation’s steel mills during the Korean War without authority from Congress?6–3Presidential power 1954Brown v. Board of EducationDoes racial segregation of public schools violate equal protection?9–0Equal protection 1958Cooper v. AaronCould Arkansas officials delay desegregation in Little Rock by opposing Brown?9–0Judicial power 1961Mapp v. OhioCan evidence from an unconstitutional search be used in a state trial?6–3Criminal justice 1962Baker v. CarrCan federal courts hear challenges to how a state draws legislative districts?6–2Voting and elections 1962Engel v. VitaleCould a state compose an official prayer for public school students to recite?6–1Religion 1963Gideon v. WainwrightMust states provide a lawyer to defendants in felony cases who cannot afford one?9–0Criminal justice 1964New York Times Co. v. SullivanCan a public official win a libel suit over criticism of official conduct without proving intent?9–0Speech and press 1964Reynolds v. SimsMust both houses of a state legislature be apportioned by population?8–1Voting and elections 1964Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United StatesCould Congress bar racial discrimination by a motel serving interstate travelers?9–0Federal and state power 1965Griswold v. ConnecticutCould a state ban married couples from using contraceptives?7–2Liberty and privacy 1966Miranda v. ArizonaMust police tell suspects in custody about their rights before questioning?5–4Criminal justice 1967Loving v. VirginiaCould a state ban marriage between people of different races?9–0Equal protection 1967Katz v. United StatesWas recording a call from a public phone booth without a warrant a search?7–1Criminal justice 1969Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School DistrictCould a school suspend students for wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War?7–2Speech and press 1969Brandenburg v. OhioCould Ohio convict a Ku Klux Klan leader for advocating violence at a rally?8–0Speech and press 1970Oregon v. MitchellCould Congress set a voting age of eighteen in state and local elections?5–4Voting and electionsSuperseded by amendment 1971New York Times Co. v. United StatesCould the government stop newspapers from publishing the classified Pentagon Papers?6–3Speech and press 1972Furman v. GeorgiaWas the death penalty, as then administered, cruel and unusual punishment?5–4Criminal justice 1973Roe v. WadeDoes the Constitution protect a right to choose abortion?7–2Liberty and privacyOverruled 1974United States v. NixonCould President Nixon withhold White House tapes subpoenaed for a criminal trial?8–0Presidential power 1976Gregg v. GeorgiaIs the death penalty always cruel and unusual punishment?7–2Criminal justice 1978Regents of the University of California v. BakkeCould a medical school reserve seats for minority applicants?5–4Equal protection 1986Bowers v. HardwickDoes the Constitution protect private consensual homosexual conduct?5–4Liberty and privacyOverruled 1989Texas v. JohnsonCan a state punish burning the American flag as political protest?5–4Speech and press 1992Planned Parenthood v. CaseyShould Roe v. Wade be overruled?5–4Liberty and privacyOverruled 1995United States v. LopezCould Congress ban guns near schools under its commerce power?5–4Federal and state power 2000Bush v. GoreCould Florida’s statewide manual recount in the 2000 presidential election continue?5–4Voting and elections 2003Lawrence v. TexasCould Texas criminalize intimate conduct between adults of the same sex?6–3Liberty and privacy 2006Hamdan v. RumsfeldCould the President try Guantánamo detainees by military commissions he established?5–3War and national security 2008Boumediene v. BushDo detainees at Guantánamo Bay have the constitutional privilege of habeas corpus?5–4War and national security 2008District of Columbia v. HellerDoes the Second Amendment protect an individual right to keep a handgun at home?5–4Right to bear arms 2010Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionCan the government limit independent political spending by corporations and unions?5–4Speech and press 2012National Federation of Independent Business v. SebeliusWas the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate constitutional?5–4Federal and state power 2013Shelby County v. HolderWas the Voting Rights Act’s formula for which jurisdictions needed federal approval of voting changes still constitutional?5–4Voting and elections 2015Obergefell v. HodgesDoes the Constitution require states to license and recognize marriages between people of the same sex?5–4Liberty and privacy 2018Trump v. HawaiiWas the presidential proclamation restricting entry from several countries lawful?5–4Citizenship and immigration 2022New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. BruenCould New York require “proper cause” for a license to carry a handgun in public?6–3Right to bear arms 2022Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health OrganizationDoes the Constitution confer a right to abortion?6–3Liberty and privacy 2023Students for Fair Admissions v. HarvardDo race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate equal protection?6–3Equal protection 2024Trump v. AndersonCould Colorado remove a presidential candidate from the ballot under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment?9–0Voting and elections 2024Loper Bright Enterprises v. RaimondoMust courts defer to an agency’s reasonable reading of an ambiguous statute?6–2Federal and state power 2024Trump v. United StatesIs a former President immune from criminal prosecution for official acts?6–3Presidential power

When the Court reversed itself. Every time, side by side.

Follow each overruled decision to the one that replaced it.

See the reversals Cases on the timeline