Roper v. Simmons: Ruling, Reasoning, and Legal Impact
Learn how Roper v. Simmons was decided, from the case's path to the Supreme Court and the competing reasoning to the ruling's lasting legal impact.
Furman v. Georgia: The Moratorium, Gregg, and McCleskey
Learn how the significance of Furman v. Georgia unfolded, from the nationwide halt on executions to rewritten state laws and lingering fairness questions.
Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baer: Espionage Act and Holmes’s Dissent
Learn how Schenck v. United States shaped free speech law, from wartime leaflet convictions to the test it introduced and how later rulings replaced it.
Who Is Andrea Yates? Trial, Reversal, and Insanity Verdict
Learn how the Andrea Yates case unfolded, from the drownings and her mental health background through the original conviction, appeal, and insanity retrial.
Jennings v. Rodriguez: Detention, Ninth Circuit Rule, and Dissent
Learn how Jennings v. Rodriguez shaped immigration detention law, from the ruling on bond hearings to the dissent and what detained noncitizens can do.
Separate but Equal Supreme Court Case: Plessy v. Ferguson
Learn how the separate but equal Supreme Court case shaped American segregation, from its Louisiana origins through its long reign to its eventual downfall.
Yamataya v. Fisher: Due Process and the Japanese Immigrant Case
Learn how Yamataya v. Fisher shaped due process for immigrants facing removal, from the facts of the case and the Court's reasoning to its lasting legacy.
McDonald v. Chicago: Incorporation, Ruling, and Bruen’s Path
Learn how McDonald v. Chicago extended Second Amendment rights to the states, from the handgun ban and incorporation debate to the ruling's path to Bruen.
The Scottsboro Boys Trials: Powell, Norris, and Exoneration
Learn how the Scottsboro Boys trials unfolded in Alabama, from the initial arrests and retrials through the Supreme Court rulings and eventual pardons.
Supreme Court Ruling on Tomatoes: Fruit or Vegetable?
Learn how the Supreme Court's ruling on tomatoes as fruit or vegetable arose from a tariff dispute and shaped the plain-language rule for reading statutes.