Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Established judicial review. [ushistory.education]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/5us137

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Defined federal supremacy and implied powers. [ushistory.education]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/17us316

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

• Expanded federal authority under the Commerce Clause.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/22us1

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

• Landmark and controversial case involving slavery and citizenship. [ushistory.education]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/60us393

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Established the “separate but equal” doctrine. [accessiblelaw.org], [ushistory.education]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Declared segregated public schools unconstitutional and overturned Plessy in education. [accessiblelaw.org], [constituti…center.org]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

• Applied the exclusionary rule to state criminal proceedings.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1960/236

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Guaranteed the right to counsel for criminal defendants.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1962/155

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)

• Established the “actual malice” standard in defamation law.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1963/39

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

• Required law enforcement to advise suspects of constitutional rights.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1965/759

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

• Protected student free speech rights in schools. [accessiblelaw.org], [abajournal.com]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1968/21

United States v. Nixon (1974)

• Limited executive privilege and reinforced judicial authority.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1973/73-1766

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council (1984)

• Influential administrative law case on agency interpretation of statutes.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1983/82-1005

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

• Recognized an individual right to possess firearms under the Second Amendment.
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2007/07-290

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

• Recognized a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. [ushistory.education]
• Link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2014/14-556