Loving v Virginia, 1967
Supreme Court case that made it illegal for states to ban interracial marriage; Richard and Mildred Loving, a white woman and black man, were married in DC but arrested in Virginia because they didnt allow it. The Court ruled that banning interracial marriage went against the constitution
US v Windsor, 2013
Supreme Court case that ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, between married lesbian couple Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer and the court. Spyer died, leaving her estate to the other and was banned from claiming the federal estate tax exemption for surviving spouses because of Section 3 in DOMA
Obergefell v Hodges, 2015
Court ruled that states must recognize marriages between same-sex couples; addressed how denying same-sex couples a marriage license violated Due Process and Equal protection clauses of the 14th amendment.
Michael H v Gerald D
involved a biological father (Michael H.) seeking paternity rights over a child born to his partner and her husband (Gerald D.). Despite Michael being the biological father, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the legal father, Gerald D., had rights due to marital presumption, which outweighed the biological connection. The Court upheld California's law, prioritizing legal paternity over biological ties in this case.
Griswold v Connecticut, 1965
Court case that established the constitutional rights to privacy for married couples; over a law that outlawed the use of birth control and the court ruled the law violated the 14th amendment and the Bill of Rights
Roe v Wade
Established the constitutional right to abortion
Dobbs vs Jackson Women's Health Organization
Overturned Roe v Wade, allowing states to regulate abortion laws
Orr v Orr
Declared gender-based alimony laws unconstitutional
Mayer v Nebraska
Struck down laws banning foreign language education in schools
Wisconsin v Yoder
Ruled that Amish families could withdraw children from school aftter 8th grade for religious reasons (based on the free exercise clause)
Pierce v Society of Sisters
Education-based policy; court struck down an Oregon statute requiring children to attend public students - interfered with the right of parents to select private or parochial schools for their children and it lacked a reasonable relation to any purpose within the competency of the state
Stanley v Illinois
Parental rights; court declared unconstitutional an Illinois dependency statute that deprived unmarried fathers of the care and custody of their children on the death of the mother without any showing of the father's unfitness
Santosky v Kramer
Parental rights; court declared unconstitutional a NY statute that authorized termination of parental rights based on preponderance of the evidence; first supreme court case to hold that even after parents are found unfit in a contested court proceeding, they retain constitutionally protected parental rights
Troxel v Granville
Parental rights; court declared unconstitutional a Washington statue that authorized judges to order parents to permit more visitation between children and their grandparents than the parents desired
Prince v Massachusetts
Health and safety; the court held states may prosecute when they expose their children to serious hazards to their well-being