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MENUMENU
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Board and Officers
    • Teacher Advisory Council
    • Supporters
    • The Courthouse
    • The Federal Courts
  • How to Visit
    • Location, Hours & Parking
    • Photo Gallery Tour
    • Schedule a Tour
  • Our Programs
    • Student Art Competition
    • Tinker v. Des Moines Exhibit
    • Program Photos
    • Past Programs
      • Bill of Rights Day 2022 Contest
      • Summer Teacher Institute
      • Citizenship in the Nation for Scouts
      • Girl Scout Day at the Courthouse
      • Constitution Day, September 17
      • Democracy Badge for Girl Scouts
      • Inside Government Badge for Girl Scouts
      • Judicial Learning Center Tenth Anniversary
      • Stories of the First Amendment Teacher Event
      • Alexander Hamilton Exhibit
      • Homeschool Educator Institute
      • Law Day 2014 Lecture: Freedom Summer
      • Freedom Summer Traveling Exhibition
      • Calendar
  • Transportation Grants
  • Student Center
    • Student Art Competition
    • Student Center Landing Page
    • The Role of the Federal Courts
    • Organization of the Federal Courts
    • How Courts Work
    • Landmark Cases
    • Tinker v. Des Moines Exhibit
  • Educator Center
    • Educator Center Main Page
    • Tinker v. Des Moines Exhibit
    • Online Learning Resources
    • Comparing State and Federal Courts
    • Teacher Advisory Council
  • Contact

Why Study Landmark Cases?

  • To understand how the judicial branch works
  • To see how past judicial decisions have affected the law
  • To see how past court cases have affected your everyday life, and your individual rights
  • To predict how past decisions will be applied to current cases and issues

 

What is a landmark case?

A landmark case is a court case that is studied because it has historical and legal significance.  The most significant cases are those that have had a lasting effect on the application of a certain law, often concerning your individual rights and liberties.

How do courts cases affect law?

Though the judicial branch doesn’t directly make laws, the courts interpret laws through the cases brought before them.  The American legal system is a Common Law system, which means that judges base their decisions on previous court rulings in similar cases.  Therefore, previous decisions by a higher court are binding, and become part of the law.

  • For the most part, courts will try to stay consistent in deciding similar issues.  This is called stare decisis, which is Latin for “let the decision stand.”
  • Decisions of the highest courts – The U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals - must be followed by the federal trial courts.  This is called following precedent.

 What landmark cases will we study?

Use the links at the right to learn more about the Landmark Cases.

  • Your 1st Amendment Rights
  • Your 4th Amendment Rights
  • Civil Rights and Equal Protection
  • The Power of Judicial Review
  • Cases from Missouri

Why Study Landmark Cases?

Directions: Click START to begin the Student Challenge. Use the ARROW to move through the questions. Check your RESULTS at the end.
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Question 1
In a _______ Law system, judges base their decisions on previous rulings in similar cases.
A
Landmark
B
Common
C
Stare decisis
D
Precedent
Question 2
_________ is Latin for “let the decision stand.”
A
Landmark
B
Common
C
Stare decisis
D
Precedent
Question 3
Lower courts are bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court.  This is called ____.
A
Landmark
B
Common
C
Stare decisis
D
Precedent
Question 4
A court case that has lasting historical and legal significance is called a ____ case.
A
Landmark
B
Common
C
Stare decisis
D
Precedent
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A landmark case is a court case that is studied because it has historical and legal significance. The most significant cases are those that have had a lasting effect on the application of a certain law, often concerning your individual rights and liberties.
  • Why Study Landmark Cases?
  • Your 1st Amendment Rights
  • Your 4th Amendment Rights
  • Civil Rights and Equal Protection
  • The Power of Judicial Review
  • Cases From Missouri

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