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April 17, 2026 | Supreme Court Clarifies Standard of Review for Asylum Decisions
Category: Supreme Court Decisions
Furman v. Georgia: The Constitutionality of the Death Penalty
In Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972), a divided U.S. Supreme Court held that the death penalty could violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment if not imposed fairly. The decision imposed a brief moratorium ...
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the U.S. Supreme Court held that requiring public school children to salute the American flag and recite the pledge of allegiance violates the First Amendment. The 6-3 decision was fit...
Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency: Court Strikes Down EPA Emissions Rule
In Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency, 576 U.S. (2015), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down an EPA rule regulating the emissions of mercury and other chemicals from electric power plants. By a vote of 5-4, the majority held that the EPA int...
Marsh v. Chambers: The Establishment of Religion
In Marsh v. Chambers, 463 U.S. 783 (1983), the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. By a vote of 6-3, the majority in Marsh v. Chambers held that the Nebraska Legislature's practice of opening each legislat...
Cantwell v. Connecticut: The Free Exercise of Religion
In Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296 (1940), the U.S. Supreme Court first applied the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause to the states. A unanimous Court specifically held that arresting Jehovah’s Witnesses who were proselytizing door-to...
Harris v. Quinn: Public Employees Union and the First Amendment
In Harris v. Quinn, 573 U.S. ___ (2014), the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the circumstances under which workers can be forced to join a union, pay dues and become public employees. By a vote of 5-4, the justices concluded that the First Amendment to...
U.S. v. Carolene Products Company: The Importance of Footnotes
In United States v. Carolene Products Company, 304 U.S. 144 (1938), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the validity of an economic regulation passed by Congress pursuant to the Commerce Clause. However, the case is more famous for “Footnote Four,” ...
Gideon v. Wainwright: The Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel
In Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel applies to the states via the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court’s unanimous decision expressly over...
EEOC v. Abercrombie: Religious Rights in the Workplace
On June 1, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court, in EEOC v. Abercrombie, held that an employer could be held liable for not being able to accommodate a religious practice under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, even though the employee or job appli...
Previous Articles
SCOTUS Rules Court Can Restrict Attorney-Client Discussions During Overnight Recess
by DONALD SCARINCI on April 15, 2026
In Villarreal v. Texas,607 U.S. ____ (2026), the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that a qualifi...
US Supreme Court Rules NJ Transit Not Entitled to Sovereign Immunity
by DONALD SCARINCI on April 13, 2026
In Galette v. New Jersey Transit Corporation, 607 U.S. ___ (2026), the U.S. Supreme Court held that...
SCOTUS Strikes Down Majority of Trump Tariffs
by DONALD SCARINCI on April 2, 2026
In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 607 U.S. ___ (2026), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the s...
