THE TOP 10 CASES
Causations of Constitutional Necessity
Before a landmark decision, there was a person, a law, and a constitutional conflict. Enter each case to follow the people, circumstances, arguments, judgments and consequences. Original records take precedence over slogans.
Roe v. Wade
Texas abortion law, constitutional liberty, and a ruling later overturned.
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Brown v. Board of Education
Public school segregation and the Equal Protection Clause.
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Marbury v. Madison
An undelivered commission and the power of judicial review.
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Miranda v. Arizona
Custodial interrogation and the Fifth Amendment.
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Gideon v. Wainwright
A defendant's right to counsel in state felony prosecutions.
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New York Times v. Sullivan
Civil-rights reporting and the constitutional law of libel.
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United States v. Nixon
Executive privilege, evidence, and presidential accountability.
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Planned Parenthood v. Casey
The undue-burden standard and the evolution of Roe.
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Citizens United v. FEC
Independent political expenditures and the First Amendment.
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Dobbs v. Jackson
The reversal of Roe and Casey and the question of state authority.
Case Preview →How We Tell These Stories
Every full exhibit begins with the person and the legal barrier, then follows the constitutional root, path to the Court, majority and dissent, aftermath, and continuing precedent. A preview is not represented as a completed research file. Historical artwork is illustrative; primary records are identified separately within the exhibits.