Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Supreme Court, 2010 Facts of the Case Citizens United, a nonprofit corporation, produced a documentary film critical of then-Senator Hillary Clinton, who was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. The film, “Hillary: The Movie,” was intended for release during the 2008 primary season. Citizens United sought to run […]

Buckley v. Valeo, Supreme Court, 1976 Facts of the Case In response to the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 and its 1974 amendments, which imposed limits on campaign contributions and expenditures. The law also established the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce these regulations. A group of plaintiffs, […]

Marbury v. Madison, Supreme Court, 1803 Facts of the Case In the final days of his presidency, John Adams appointed several judges, including William Marbury, as justices of the peace in the District of Columbia. These appointments, known as the “midnight judges,” were part of the Judiciary Act of 1801. However, when Thomas Jefferson took […]

Gideon v. Wainwright, Supreme Court, 1963 Facts of the Case Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with felony breaking and entering in Florida. Unable to afford an attorney, Gideon requested that the court appoint one for him. The request was denied because Florida law only provided appointed counsel for indigent defendants in capital cases. Gideon defended […]

McDonald v. Chicago, Supreme Court, 2010 Facts of the Case In 1982, Chicago enacted a handgun ban that prohibited the possession of unregistered firearms and required the registration of all guns. The law effectively banned the possession of handguns by private citizens. Otis McDonald, a Chicago resident, and several other individuals challenged the law, arguing […]

Shaw v. Reno, Supreme Court, 1993 Facts of the Case After the 1990 census, North Carolina gained a 12th seat in the House of Representatives. The state submitted a redistricting plan that included one majority-black district. The U.S. Department of Justice rejected the plan, suggesting the creation of a second majority-black district to comply with […]

Baker v. Carr, Supreme Court, 1962 Facts of the Case Charles W. Baker and other Tennessee citizens filed a lawsuit against Joe Carr, the Secretary of State of Tennessee, alleging that the state’s legislative districts had not been redrawn since 1901 despite significant population shifts. The plaintiffs argued that this lack of redistricting resulted in […]

McCulloch v. Maryland, Supreme Court, 1819 Facts of the Case In 1816, Congress established the Second Bank of the United States. In 1818, the state of Maryland passed legislation to impose taxes on the bank. James W. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, refused to pay the tax. Maryland sued McCulloch, […]

United States v. Lopez, Supreme Court, 1995 Facts of the Case In 1992, Alfonso Lopez, a 12th-grade student, carried a concealed handgun and ammunition into his high school in San Antonio, Texas. He was charged under the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which prohibited individuals from knowingly possessing a firearm in a school […]