CASE READINGS
As a service to practicing attorneys (and to the general public), Quo Jure is pleased to offer readings of selected cases in American jurisprudence. You'll also find links to the full written opinions, and to other pages of interest.
Embedded citations are omitted, but the files contain the full text of majority opinions and some key dissenting or concurring opinions. The cases are, of course, in the public domain, but these readings are copyright 2002-2018 by Quo Jure Corporation. The reader is Jim Schenkel.
NOTE: Quo Jure Corporation no longer maintains its certification as a California MCLE provider. Please ignore the credit numbers listed below; no MCLE credit is available for listening to these audio files.
The United States v. The Schooner Amistad
Africans aboard a schooner seized from its captain were not slaves and the property of Spanish owners, but had to be released as free men.
Part 1 Part 2Code: 7443Links:
Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition
Is "Romeo and Juliet" really child pornography?
Majority opinionCode: 1711Links:
Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents
The Fourth Amendment supports a damage claim against federal agents for unconstitutional acts done under color of their authority.
Majority opinionCode: 7149Links:
Boumediene v. George W. Bush
Habeas Corpus applies even in Guantanamo Bay.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8Code: 3081Links:
Brown v. Board of Education
In honor of its 50th anniversary, the landmark case that overturned Plessy.
Majority opinionCode: 3452Links:
Bush v. Gore
Need we say more? (Includes Justice Bader-Ginsburg's dissent.)
Majority opinion Bader-Ginsburg dissentCode: 2287Links:
Gonzales v. Carhart
Upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. (Includes dissent.)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5--dissent Part 6--dissentCode: 3053Links:
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Under the First Amendment, federal law cannot limit corporate expenditures for electioneering communications.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7--dissent Part 8--dissent Part 9--dissent Part 10--dissent Part 11--dissent Part 12--dissent Part 13--dissent Part 14--dissent Part 15--dissent Part 16--dissentCode: 8353Links:
Clinton v. Jones
A sitting President must defend against a civil suit based on his acts before taking office.
Part 1 Part 2Code: 8187Links:
Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
Indiana law requiring photo identification of voters is constitutional.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3--dissent Part 4--dissent Part 5--dissentCode: 7488Links:
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Notorious case holding that African-Americans cannot be citizens.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10Code: 3373Links:
Epperson v. Arkansas
Arkansas cannot prohibit schools from teaching the theory of evolution.
Majority opinionCode: 6033Links:
Griswold v. Connecticut
Privacy is a constitutional right.
Majority opinionCode: 4415Links:
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
The Executive is bound to comply with the Rule of Law, even in Guantanamo.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6Code: 2511Links:
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
Justice O'Connor's parting shot: War does not give the President a blank check to detain citizens without due process.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4Code: 5662Links:
Hustler Magazine v. Falwell
Sorry Jerry, but even Hustler is entitled to the First Amendment's protection
Majority opinionCode: 5553Links:
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
To state a claim for relief in federal court, the plaintiff now must plead facts that are "plausible."
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3--dissents Part 4--dissentsCode: 9682Links:
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
The district court [USDC MD Pa] conclusively demolishes "Intelligent Design" as an alternative to Darwinian evolution in public schools.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12Code: 8009Links:
Lawrence v. Texas
States cannot criminalize the private sexual conduct of consenting adults.
Majority opinionCode: 4757Links:
Lemon v. Kurtzman
Setting standards for separation of church and state under the First Amendment.
Majority opinionCode: 5975Links:
Mapp v. Ohio
Evidence obtained through illegal search and seizure cannot be admitted in state court criminal cases.
Part 1 Part 2Code: 6326Links:
Marbury v. Madison
Justice John Marshall's 1803 opinion establishing that the United States Supreme Court has the final say on questions of constitutionality.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4Code: 4638Links:
Miranda v. Arizona
"You have the right to remain silent." Law enforcement officers must tell suspects their rights before custodial interrogation.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 art 7, majority opinion, section 5Code: 9362Links:
Morse v. Frederick
A "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner gets a high school student suspended. The First Amendment must defer to the War on Drugs, at least for those still in school.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3--dissent Part 4--dissentCode: 8225Links:
Plessy v. Ferguson
Infamous case establishing the racial "separate but equal" doctrine in public accommodation. Don't miss Justice Harlan's stinging dissent.
Majority opinion Harlan dissentCode: 1729Links:
United States v. Cecil Price
The "Mississippi Burning" case, involving the murder of three civil rights workers by state officials and their co-conspirators.
Part 1 Part 2Code: 2424Links:
Roe v. Wade
A pregnant woman has the right to decide whether or not to have an abortion.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4Code: 6738Links:
Rules of Professional Conduct
State Bar of California Rules of Professional Conduct as of April 2008. (Tedious, but qualifies for ethics credit.)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4Code: 6615Links:
Segretti v. The State Bar of California
The California Supreme Court finds that Daniel Segretti's political dirty tricks were unethical, and requires him to take the Professional Responsibility Examination. [Legal ethics]
Majority opinionCode: 5013Links:
Shelby County v. Holder
Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, requiring DOJ pre-clearance before certain jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination can change their voting laws, is no longer constitutional.
Opinion part 1 Opinion part 2 Opinion part 3 Dissent part 1 Dissent part 2 Dissent part 3 Dissent part 4Code: 9050Links:
Wickard v. Filburn
Congress has power under the Commerce Clause to regulate production of wheat, including the wheat a farmer grows for his own use.
Part 1 Part 2Code: 1549Links:
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer
Exploring the constitutional limits, if any, on presidential "war powers."
Majority opinion Jackson concurrenceCode: 4546Links: