Civil Rights cases at the Supreme Court

Cases about equal treatment and civil rights: voting and reapportionment, desegregation, discrimination in employment and elsewhere, affirmative action, immigration and citizenship, the rights of indigent litigants, and liability under the civil rights acts.

Issues in this area

Number of decisions SCDB assigns to each specific issue. Issues with at least 5 decisions have their own page.

Decisions that altered precedent or struck down a law (191)

• Louisiana v. CallaisLaw held unconstitutional
  146 S. Ct. 1131Decided April 29, 20266–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard CollegeAltered precedent
  600 U.S. 181Decided June 29, 20236–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• Moore v. HarperLaw held unconstitutional
  600 U.S. 1Decided June 27, 20236–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Rucho v. Common CauseAltered precedent
  139 S. Ct. 2484Decided June 27, 20195–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Herrera v. WyomingAltered precedent
  139 S. Ct. 1686Decided May 20, 20195–4Sonia Sotomayor
• Trump v. HawaiiAltered precedent
  138 S. Ct. 2392Decided June 26, 20185–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Sessions v. Morales-SantanaLaw held unconstitutional
  137 S. Ct. 1678Decided June 12, 20178–0Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Cooper v. HarrisLaw held unconstitutional
  137 S. Ct. 1455Decided May 22, 20178–0Elena Kagan
• Shelby County v. HolderLaw held unconstitutional
  570 U.S. 529Decided June 25, 20135–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Keith Haywood v. Curtis DrownLaw held unconstitutional
  556 U.S. 729Decided May 26, 20095–4John Paul Stevens
• Cordell Pearson v. Afton CallahanAltered precedent
  555 U.S. 223Decided January 21, 20099–0Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  551 U.S. 701Decided June 28, 20075–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Antonio Dwayne Halbert v. MichiganLaw held unconstitutional
  545 U.S. 605Decided June 23, 20057–2Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Rebecca McDowell Cook v. Donald J. Gralike and Mike HarmanLaw held unconstitutional
  531 U.S. 510Decided February 28, 20019–0John Paul Stevens
• Boy Scouts of America and Monmouth Council v. James DaleLaw held unconstitutional
  530 U.S. 640Decided June 28, 20005–4William H. Rehnquist
• California Democratic Party v. Bill JonesLaw held unconstitutional
  530 U.S. 567Decided June 26, 20007–2Antonin Scalia
• Harold F. Rice v. Benjamin J. CayetanoLaw held unconstitutional
  528 U.S. 495Decided February 23, 20007–2Anthony M. Kennedy
• Rita L. Saenz v. Brenda Roe and Anna Doe Etc.Law held unconstitutional
  526 U.S. 489Decided May 17, 19997–2John Paul Stevens
• Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa IndiansAltered precedent
  526 U.S. 172Decided March 24, 19995–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Murphy J. Foster, Jr. v. G. Scott LoveLaw held unconstitutional
  522 U.S. 67Decided December 2, 19979–0David H. Souter
• M. L. B. v. S. L. J.Law held unconstitutional
  519 U.S. 102Decided December 16, 19966–3Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• United States v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
  518 U.S. 515Decided June 26, 19967–1Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Ruth O. Shaw v. James B. Hunt, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
  517 U.S. 899Decided June 13, 19965–4William H. Rehnquist
• George W. Bush v. Al VeraLaw held unconstitutional
  517 U.S. 952Decided June 13, 19965–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Zell Miller v. Davida JohnsonLaw held unconstitutional
  515 U.S. 900Decided June 29, 19955–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Federico PenaAltered precedent
  515 U.S. 200Decided June 12, 19955–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Barbara J. Norman v. Dorothy ReedLaw held unconstitutional
  502 U.S. 279Decided January 14, 19927–1David H. Souter
• Connecticut and John F. Digiovanni v. Brian K. DoehrLaw held unconstitutional
  501 U.S. 1Decided June 6, 19919–0Byron R. White
• Quinn v. MillsapLaw held unconstitutional
  491 U.S. 95Decided June 15, 19899–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Board of Estimate of City of New York v. MorrisLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 688Decided March 22, 19899–0Byron R. White
• Barnard v. ThorstennLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 546Decided March 6, 19896–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
  488 U.S. 469Decided January 23, 19896–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• Supreme Court of Virginia v. FriedmanLaw held unconstitutional
  487 U.S. 59Decided June 20, 19887–2Anthony M. Kennedy
• Clark v. JeterLaw held unconstitutional
  486 U.S. 456Decided June 6, 19889–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Solorio v. United StatesAltered precedent
  483 U.S. 435Decided June 25, 19876–3William H. Rehnquist
• Tashjian v. Republican Party of ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
  479 U.S. 208Decided December 10, 19865–4Thurgood Marshall
• Attorney General of New York v. Soto-LopezLaw held unconstitutional
  476 U.S. 898Decided June 16, 19866–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Batson v. KentuckyAltered precedent
  476 U.S. 79Decided April 30, 19867–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
  474 U.S. 327Decided January 21, 19869–0William H. Rehnquist
• Hooper v. Bernalillo County AssessorLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 612Decided June 24, 19855–3Warren E. Burger

See all 191

Most recent decisions

• West Virginia v. B.P.J.
  146 S. Ct. 2356Decided June 30, 20266–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Trump v. Barbara
  146 S. Ct. 2438Decided June 30, 20266–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Watson v. Republican National Committee
  146 S. Ct. 2165Decided June 29, 20265–4Amy Coney Barrett
• Mullin v. Al Otro Lado
  146 S. Ct. 2079Decided June 25, 20266–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Blanche v. Lau
  146 S. Ct. 1981Decided June 23, 20266–3Clarence Thomas
• Louisiana v. CallaisLaw held unconstitutional
  146 S. Ct. 1131Decided April 29, 20266–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Zorn v. Linton
  607 U.S. 568Decided March 23, 20266–3Per curiam
• Urias-Orellana v. Bondi
  607 U.S. 537Decided March 4, 20269–0Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections
  607 U.S. 71Decided January 14, 20267–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• Riley v. Bondi
  145 S. Ct. 2190Decided June 26, 20255–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
  145 S. Ct. 2219Decided June 26, 20256–3Neil M. Gorsuch
• Stanley v. City of Sanford
  145 S. Ct. 2058Decided June 20, 20257–2Neil M. Gorsuch
• United States v. Skrmetti
  145 S. Ct. 1816Decided June 18, 20256–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Soto v. United States
  145 S. Ct. 1677Decided June 12, 20259–0Clarence Thomas
• A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools
  145 S. Ct. 1647Decided June 12, 20259–0John G. Roberts Jr.
• Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services
  145 S. Ct. 1540Decided June 5, 20259–0Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Velazquez v. Bondi
  145 S. Ct. 1232Decided April 22, 20255–4Neil M. Gorsuch
• Department of State v. Muñoz
  144 S. Ct. 1812Decided June 21, 20246–3Amy Coney Barrett
• Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon
  144 S. Ct. 1745Decided June 20, 20246–3Elena Kagan
• Campos-Chaves v. Garland
  144 S. Ct. 1637Decided June 14, 20245–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe
  144 S. Ct. 1428Decided June 6, 20245–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP
  144 S. Ct. 1221Decided May 23, 20246–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Muldrow v. City of St. Louis
  144 S. Ct. 967Decided April 17, 20249–0Elena Kagan
• Rudisill v. McDonough
  601 U.S. 294Decided April 16, 20247–2Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Wilkinson v. Garland
  601 U.S. 209Decided March 19, 20246–3Sonia Sotomayor
• Trump v. Anderson
  601 U.S. 100Decided March 4, 20249–0Per curiam
• Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC
  601 U.S. 23Decided February 8, 20249–0Sonia Sotomayor
• 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis
  600 U.S. 570Decided June 30, 20236–3Neil M. Gorsuch
• Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard CollegeAltered precedent
  600 U.S. 181Decided June 29, 20236–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• Groff v. Dejoy
  600 U.S. 447Decided June 29, 20239–0Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Search all 1,525 Civil Rights decisions

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error