List of United States Supreme Court cases involving the First Amendment
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This is a list of cases that appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States involving the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the ...
.


The establishment of religion


Blue laws

* '' McGowan v. Maryland'' (1961) * '' Braunfeld v. Brown'' (1961) * '' Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Mass., Inc.'' (1961) * '' Thornton v. Caldor'' (1985)


Government aid to church-related schools

* '' Cochran v. Louisiana State Board of Education'', * '' Everson v. Board of Education'', * '' Board of Ed. of Central School Dist. No. 1 v. Allen'', * '' Lemon v. Kurtzman'', * '' Tilton v. Richardson'', * '' Lemon v. Kurtzman II'', * '' Levitt v. Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty'', * '' Hunt v. McNair'', * '' Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Nyquist'', * '' Sloan v. Lemon'', * '' Wheeler v. Barrera'', * '' Public Funds for Public Schools v. Marburger'' (1974) * '' Meek v. Pittenger'', * '' Roemer v. Board of Public Works of Maryland'', * '' Wolman v. Walter'', * '' New York v. Cathedral Academy'', * '' Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Regan'', * '' Mueller v. Allen'', * '' School Dist. of Grand Rapids v. Ball'', * '' Aguilar v. Felton'', * '' Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind'', * '' Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District'', * '' Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet'', * '' Agostini v. Felton'', * '' Mitchell v. Helms'', * ''
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris ''Zelman v. Simmons-Harris'', 536 U.S. 639 (2002), was a 5–4 decision of the United States Supreme Court that upheld an Ohio program that used school vouchers. The Court decided that the program did not violate the Establishment Clause of the Fi ...
'', * '' Locke v. Davey'', * '' Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn'',


Government-sponsored religious displays

* '' Lynch v. Donnelly'', * '' Board of Trustees of Scarsdale v. McCreary'', * ''
County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union ''County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union'', 492 U.S. 573 (1989), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court considered the constitutionality of two recurring Christmas and Hanukkah holiday displays located on public pr ...
'', * '' Van Orden v. Perry'', * '' McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union'', * '' Pleasant Grove City v. Summum'', * '' Salazar v. Buono'', * '' American Legion v. American Humanist Association'',


Legislative prayer

* '' Marsh v. Chambers'', * '' Town of Greece v. Galloway'',


Internal religious affairs (also involving the Free Exercise Clause)

* '' Watson v. Jones'', * '' United States v. Ballard'', * '' Kedroff v. St. Nicholas Cathedral of Russian Orthodox Church in North America'', * '' Kreshik v. St. Nicholas Cathedral'', * ''
Presbyterian Church v. Hull Church ''Presbyterian Church v. Hull Church'', 393 U.S. 440 (1969), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case involving the secession of two local churches, including Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church, from the parent bod ...
'', * '' Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America & Canada v. Milivojevich'', * '' Jones v. Wolf'', * '' Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan v. Acevedo Feliciano'',


Ministerial exception

* '' Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission'', * '' Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru'',


Private religious speech

* ''
Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District ''Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District'', 508 U.S. 384 (1993), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States concerning whether the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment was offended by a school district t ...
'', * '' Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board v. Pinette'', * '' Rosenberger v. University of Virginia'', * ''
Good News Club v. Milford Central School ''Good News Club v. Milford Central School'', 533 U.S. 98 (2001), was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that held that when a government operates a " limited public forum," it may not discriminate against speech that takes place within that foru ...
'', * '' Shurtleff v. City of Boston'',


Religion in public schools

* '' McCollum v. Board of Education'', * '' Zorach v. Clauson'', * '' Engel v. Vitale'', * ''
Abington School District v. Schempp ''Abington School District v. Schempp'', 374 U.S. 203 (1963), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court decided 8–1 in favor of the respondent, Edward Schempp on behalf of his son Ellery Schempp, and declared that school-spo ...
'', * '' Epperson v. Arkansas'', * ''
Stone v. Graham In ''Stone v. Graham'', 449 U.S. 39 (1980), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a Kentucky statute was unconstitutional and in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, because it lacked a nonreligious, legislati ...
'', * '' Wallace v. Jaffree'', * '' Edwards v. Aguillard'', * ''
Westside Community Board of Education v. Mergens ''Westside Community Board of Education v. Mergens'', 496 U.S. 226 (1990), was a United States Supreme Court case involving a school district's ability to hold classes on Bible study after school. Background Westside High School, in District ...
'', * ''
Lee v. Weisman ''Lee v. Weisman'', 505 U.S. 577 (1992), was a United States Supreme Court decision regarding school prayer. It was the first major school prayer case decided by the Rehnquist Court. It held that schools may not sponsor clerics to conduct even non- ...
'', * ''
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe ''Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe'', 530 U.S. 290 (2000), was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court. It ruled that a policy permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at high school football games violates the Establ ...
'', * '' Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow'', * ''
Kennedy v. Bremerton School District ''Kennedy v. Bremerton School District'', 597 U.S. ___ (2022), is a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in which the Court held, 6–3, that the government, while following the Establishment Clause, may not suppress an individual ...
'',


Religious institution functioning as a government agency

* '' Larkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc.'', * '' Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet'',


Standing to sue

* '' Flast v. Cohen'', * '' Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church & State'', * ''
Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation ''Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation'', 551 U.S. 587 (2007), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court which ruled that taxpayers do not have the right to challenge the constitutionality of expendi ...
'', * '' Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn'',


Statutory religious exemptions

* '' Walz v. Tax Commission of the City of New York'', * '' Bob Jones University v. United States'', * ''
Estate of Thornton v. Caldor, Inc. ''Estate of Thornton v. Caldor, Inc.'', 472 U.S. 703 (1985), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that a state statute providing employees with an absolute right not to work on their ch ...
'', * '' Corporation of Presiding Bishop of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints v. Amos'', * '' Texas Monthly, Inc. v. Bullock'', * ''
City of Boerne v. Flores ''City of Boerne v. Flores'', 521 U.S. 507 (1997), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the scope of Congress's power of enforcement under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case also had a signific ...
'', * ''
Cutter v. Wilkinson ''Cutter v. Wilkinson'', 544 U.S. 709 (2005), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that, under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), facilities that accept federal funds cannot deny prisoners ...
'',


Unequal government treatment of different religious groups

* '' Larson v. Valente'',


Abortion and contraception

* '' Harris v. McRae'', * '' Bowen v. Kendrick'',


Other

* '' Torcaso v. Watkins'' (1961) * ''
McDaniel v. Paty ''McDaniel v. Paty'', 435 U.S. 618 (1978), was a United States Supreme Court case that struck down the last remaining state restriction against religious ministers holding elected office. Background McDaniel was a Baptist minister from Chattan ...
'' (1978) * ''
Trump v. Hawaii ''Trump v. Hawaii'', No. 17-965, 585 U.S. ___ (2018), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case involving Presidential Proclamation 9645 signed by President Donald Trump, which restricted travel into the United States by people from sever ...
'' (2018)


The free exercise of religion


Exclusion of religion from public benefits

* '' Locke v. Davey'', * ''
Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer ''Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer'', 582 U.S. ___ (2017), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that a Missouri program that denied a grant to a religious school for playground resurfacing, while provid ...
'', * ''
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue ''Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue'', 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that a state-based scholarship program that provides public funds to allow students to attend private scho ...
'', * '' Carson v. Makin'',


Polygamy

* '' Reynolds v. United States'' (1878) * '' Davis v. Beason'' (1890)


Free exercise and eminent domain

* ''
Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association ''Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association'', 485 U.S. 439 (1988), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark case in which the Court ruled ...
'' (1988) * ''
City of Boerne v. Flores ''City of Boerne v. Flores'', 521 U.S. 507 (1997), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the scope of Congress's power of enforcement under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case also had a signific ...
'' (1997)


Free exercise and free speech

* '' R. A. V. v. City of St. Paul'' (1992) * ''
Good News Club v. Milford Central School ''Good News Club v. Milford Central School'', 533 U.S. 98 (2001), was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that held that when a government operates a " limited public forum," it may not discriminate against speech that takes place within that foru ...
'' (2001) * ''
Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficente Uniao do Vegetal Gonzales may refer to: Places * Gonzales, California, U.S. * Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S. * Gonzales, Texas, U.S. * Gonzales County, Texas Other uses * Battle of Gonzales, 1835 * Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred r ...
'' (2006) * '' Fulton v. City of Philadelphia'' (2021)


Free exercise and public education

* ''
Wisconsin v. Yoder ''Wisconsin v. Jonas Yoder'', 406 U.S. 205 (1972), is the case in which the United States Supreme Court found that Amish children could not be placed under compulsory education past 8th grade. The parents' fundamental right to freedom of religion ...
'' (1972) * '' Widmar v. Vincent'' (1981) * '' Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens'' (1990) * ''
Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District ''Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District'', 508 U.S. 384 (1993), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States concerning whether the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment was offended by a school district t ...
'' (1993) * '' Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia'' (1995) * ''
Kennedy v. Bremerton School District ''Kennedy v. Bremerton School District'', 597 U.S. ___ (2022), is a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in which the Court held, 6–3, that the government, while following the Establishment Clause, may not suppress an individual ...
'',


Free exercise and public property

* '' Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board v. Pinette'' (1995)


Internal religious affairs (also involving the Establishment Clause)

* '' Watson v. Jones'', * '' United States v. Ballard'', * '' Kedroff v. St. Nicholas Cathedral of Russian Orthodox Church in North America'', * '' Kreshik v. St. Nicholas Cathedral'', * ''
Presbyterian Church v. Hull Church ''Presbyterian Church v. Hull Church'', 393 U.S. 440 (1969), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case involving the secession of two local churches, including Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church, from the parent bod ...
'', * '' Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America & Canada v. Milivojevich'', * '' Jones v. Wolf'', * '' Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan v. Acevedo Feliciano'',


Ministerial exception

* '' Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission'', * '' Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru'',


Religion and the right to work

* '' Sherbert v. Verner'' (1963) * '' Trans World Airlines v. Hardison'' (1977) * '' Ohio Civil Rights Commission v. Dayton Christian Schools'' (1986) * '' Corporation of Presiding Bishop of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints v. Amos'' (1987) * ''
Employment Division v. Smith ''Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith'', 494 U.S. 872 (1990), is a United States Supreme Court case that held that the state could deny unemployment benefits to a person fired for violating a state prohibition on t ...
'' (1990)


Religious tests for public service or benefits

* '' Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire'' (1942) * '' Torcaso v. Watkins'' (1961) * ''
McDaniel v. Paty ''McDaniel v. Paty'', 435 U.S. 618 (1978), was a United States Supreme Court case that struck down the last remaining state restriction against religious ministers holding elected office. Background McDaniel was a Baptist minister from Chattan ...
'' (1978) * ''
Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division ''Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division'', 450 U.S. 707 (1981), was a case''Thomas v. Review Bd. of Indiana Employment Sec. Div.'', . in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Indiana's denial of unempl ...
'' (1981) * '' Goldman v. Weinberger'' (1986) * '' Bowen v. Roy'' (1986)


Ritual sacrifice of animals

* '' Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah'' (1993)


Solicitation by religious groups

* '' Cantwell v. Connecticut'' (1940) * '' Minersville School District v. Gobitis'' (1940) * '' Cox v. New Hampshire'' (1941) * '' Jones v. City of Opelika (I)'' (1942) * '' Marsh v. Alabama'' (1942) * '' Murdock v. Pennsylvania'' (1943) * '' Jones v. City of Opelika (II)'' (1943) * '' West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette'' (1943) * '' Prince v. Massachusetts'' (1944) * '' Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness'' (1981) * '' Watchtower Society v. Village of Stratton'' (2002)


Statutory religious exemptions


Religious Freedom Restoration Act

* '' Gonzales v. O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal'', * '' Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.'', * '' Zubik v. Burwell'', * '' Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania'', * '' Tanzin v. Tanvir'',


Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

* '' Sossamon v. Texas'', * '' Holt v. Hobbs'', * ''
Ramirez v. Collier ''Ramirez v. Collier'', 595 U.S. ___ (2022), is a United States Supreme Court case related to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Background On July 19, 2004, 20-y ...
'',


Other

* '' Sause v. Bauer'', * '' Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo'' (2020) * '' Tandon v. Newsom'' (2021)


Freedom of speech


Campaign finance

* '' Buckley v. Valeo'', * '' First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti'', * '' California Medical Association v. FEC'', * '' Citizens Against Rent Control v. City of Berkeley'', * '' FEC v. National Right to Work Committee'', * '' FEC v. National Conservative PAC'', * '' FEC v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life'', * '' Eu v. S.F. Cty. Democratic Cent. Comm.'', * '' Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce'', * '' Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC'', * '' Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC'', * '' FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee'', * '' Republican Party of Minnesota v. White'', * '' FEC v. Beaumont'', * '' McConnell v. FEC'', * '' Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. v. FEC'', * '' Randall v. Sorrell'', * ''
FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. ''Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc.'', 551 U.S. 449 (2007), is a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that issue ads may not be banned from the months preceding a pr ...
'', * '' Davis v. FEC'', * '' Citizens United v. FEC'', * '' Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett'', * ''
American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock ''American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock'', 2011 MT 328, is a decision by the Montana Supreme Court ruling that the broad free speech protections given to corporations in '' Citizens United v. FEC'' do not apply to Montana's campaign finan ...
'', * '' McCutcheon v. FEC'', * '' Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar'', * '' Thompson v. Hebdon'', * '' FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate'',


Commercial speech

* '' Valentine v. Chrestensen'' (1942) * '' Rowan v. U.S. Post Office Dept.'' (1970) * ''
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations ''Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations'', 413 U.S. 376 (1973), is a 1973 decision of the United States Supreme Court which upheld an ordinance enacted in Pittsburgh that forbids sex-designated classified advertising for ...
'' (1973) * '' Lehman v. Shaker Heights'' (1974) * '' Bigelow v. Commonwealth of Virginia'' (1974) * '' Virginia State Pharmacy Board v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council'' (1976) * ''
Bates v. State Bar of Arizona ''Bates v. State Bar of Arizona'', 433 U.S. 350 (1977), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court upheld the right of lawyers to advertise their services.. In holding that lawyer advertising was commercial speech entitled to prote ...
'' (1977) * '' Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Willingboro'' (1977) * '' Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.'' (1978) * '' Friedman v. Rogers'' (1979) * '' Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission'' (1980) * '' Consol. Edison Co. v. Public Serv. Comm'n'' (1980) * '' Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego'' (1981) * '' Hoffman Estates v. The Flipside, Hoffman Estates, Inc.'' (1982) * '' Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp.'' (1983) * '' Edenfield v. Fane'' (1993) * ''
44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island ''44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island'', 517 U.S. 484 (1996), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that a complete ban on the advertising of alcohol prices was unconstitutional under t ...
'' (1996) * '' Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman'' (2017) * '' Iancu v. Brunetti'' (2019)


Compelled speech Compelled speech is a transmission of expression required by law. A related legal concept is '' protected speech''. Just as freedom of speech protects free expression, in many cases it similarly protects an individual from being required to utter ...

* '' Minersville School District v. Gobitis'' (1940) * '' West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette'' (1943) * ''
Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo ''Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo'', 418 U.S. 241 (1974), was a seminal First Amendment ruling at the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overturned a Florida state law that required newspapers to offer equal space to political ...
'' (1974) * '' Wooley v. Maynard'' (1977) * '' Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society'' (2013) * ''
National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra ''National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra'', 585 U.S. ___ (2018), was a case before the Supreme Court of the United States addressing the constitutionality of California's FACT Act, which mandated that crisis pregnancy centers ...
'' (2018) * '' Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society'' (2020) * '' 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis'' (2023)


Compelled commercial speech

* '' Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of Supreme Court of Ohio'' (1985) * '' Riley v. National Federation of the Blind'' (1988) * '' Ibanez v. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Board of Accountancy'' (1994) * '' Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A. v. United States'' (2010) * '' Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman'' (2017)


Compelled subsidy for speech of others

Cases that consider the First Amendment implications of payments mandated by the state going to use in part for speech by third parties * '' Abood v. Detroit Board of Education'' (1977) * '' Communications Workers of America v. Beck'' (1978) * '' Chicago Local Teachers Union v. Hudson'' (1986) * '' Keller v. State Bar of California'' (1990) * '' Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Ass'n'' (1991) * '' Glickman v. Wileman Brothers & Elliott Inc.'' (1997) * '' Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Southworth'' (2000) * '' United States v. United Foods, Inc.'' (2001) * '' Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association'' (2005) * '' Davenport v. Washington Education Association'' (2007) * '' Locke v. Karass'' (2008) * ''
Knox v. Service Employees International Union, Local 1000 ''Knox v. Service Employees International Union'', 567 U.S. 298 (2012), is a United States constitutional law case. The Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court held in a 7–2 decision that Dianne Knox and other non-membe ...
'' (2012) * ''
Harris v. Quinn ''Harris v. Quinn'', 573 U.S. 616 (2014), is a US labor law case of the United States Supreme Court regarding provisions of Illinois state law that allowed a union security agreement. Since the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 prohibited the closed shop, ...
'' (2014) * ''
Friedrichs v. California Teachers Ass'n Friedrichs may refer to: Names * Bob Friedrichs, American baseball pitcher * Carl Joseph Friedrichs, German printer, author and gold prospector * Friedrich Friedrichs, German World War I fighter ace * Fritz Walter Paul Friedrichs, German chemist ...
'' (2016) * '' Janus v. AFSCME'' (2018)


Loyalty oaths and affirmations

* '' American Communications Association v. Douds'' (1950) * '' Garner v. Board of Public Works'' (1951) * '' Adler v. Board of Ed. of City of New York'' (1952) * '' Wieman v. Updegraff'' (1952) * '' Speiser v. Randall'' (1958) * '' Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction'' (1961) * '' Keyishian v. Board of Regents'' (1965) * '' Communist Party of Indiana v. Whitcomb'' (1974)


Content-based

* '' R. A. V. v. City of St. Paul'' (1992) * '' Reed v. Town of Gilbert'' (2015) * '' City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, LLC'' (2022)


Content-neutral

* '' City of Ladue v. Gilleo'' (1994)


Sedition and imminent danger

* '' Debs v. United States'' (1919) * '' Schenck v. United States'' (1919) * '' Abrams v. United States'' (1919) * ''
Gitlow v. New York ''Gitlow v. New York'', 268 U.S. 652 (1925), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court holding that the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution had extended the First Amendment's provisions protecting freedom of spe ...
'' (1925) * '' Whitney v. California'' (1927) * '' Dennis v. United States'' (1951) * ''
Communist Party v. Subversive Activities Control Board ''Communist Party of the United States v. Subversive Activities Control Board'', 351 U.S. 115 (1956). and 367 U.S. 1 (1961),. was a federal court case in the United States involving the compelled registration of the Communist Party of the United ...
'' (1955) * '' Yates v. United States'' (1957) * ''
Brandenburg v. Ohio ''Brandenburg v. Ohio'', 395 U.S. 444 (1969), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court interpreting the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Court held that the government cannot punish inflammatory speech unless that s ...
'' (1969)


False speech

* '' United States v. Alvarez'' (2012) * '' Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus'' (2014)


Fighting words and the heckler's veto

* '' Cantwell v. Connecticut'' (1940) * '' Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire'' (1942) * '' Terminiello v. Chicago'' (1949) * '' Feiner v. New York'' (1951) * ''
National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie ''National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie'', 432 U.S. 43 (1977), arising out of what is sometimes referred to as the Skokie Affair, was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court dealing with freedom of speech and freedom of ass ...
'' (1977) * '' R. A. V. v. City of St. Paul'' (1992) * '' Snyder v. Phelps'' (2011)


Freedom of assembly and public forums

* '' Hague v. CIO'' (1939) * '' Schneider v. New Jersey'' (1939) * '' Martin v. Struthers'' (1943) * '' NAACP v. Alabama'' (1958) * '' Bates v. City of Little Rock'' (1960) * '' Edwards v. South Carolina'' (1963) * '' Cox v. Louisiana'' (1965) * '' Brown v. Louisiana'' (1966) * '' Adderley v. Florida'' (1966) * '' Carroll v. Town of Princess Anne'' (1968) * '' Coates v. Cincinnati'' (1971) * '' Organization for a Better Austin v. Keefe'' (1971) * '' Southeastern Promotions, Ltd. v. Conrad'' (1975) * ''
Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins ''Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins'', 447 U.S. 74 (1980), was a U.S. Supreme Court decision issued on June 9, 1980 which affirmed the decision of the California Supreme Court in a case that arose out of a free speech dispute between the Pruneya ...
'' (1980) * '' Postal Service v. Council of Greenburgh Civic Assns.'' (1981) * '' Christian Legal Society v. Martinez'' (2010) * '' Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck'' (2019) * '' Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta'' (2021)


Time, place and manner

Cases concerning restrictions on the time, place, and manner of speech * ''
Chicago Police Dept. v. Mosley ''Chicago Police Dept. v. Mosley'', 408 U.S. 92 (1972), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case which concerned freedom of speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, First Amendment. Oral ...
'' (1972) * '' Grayned v. City of Rockford'' (1972) * '' Ward v. Rock Against Racism'' (1989) * ''
Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York ''Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York'', 519 U.S. 357 (1997), was a case heard before the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court related to legal protection of access to abortion. The question before the cour ...
'' (1997) * '' Hill v. Colorado'' (2000) * '' McCullen v. Coakley'' (2014) * '' Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky'' (2018)


Government speech

Cases pertaining to whether or not extending protections to speech constitutes government endorsement of speech. * '' Pleasant Grove City v. Summum'', * ''
Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans ''Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans'', 576 U.S. 200 (2015), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that license plates are government speech and are consequently more easily regulated/subjected to c ...
'' (2015) * ''
Matal v. Tam ''Matal v. Tam'', 582 U.S. ___ (2017) (previously known as ''Lee v. Tam'') is a Supreme Court of the United States case that affirmed unanimously the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that the provisions of the ...
'' (2017) * '' Iancu v. Brunetti'' (2019) * '' Shurtleff v. City of Boston'',


Government-subsidized speech

Cases about restrictions on speech by third parties funded by the government. * '' Rust v. Sullivan'' (1991) * '' Legal Services Corp. v. Velazquez'' (2001)


Obscenity


Generally

Cases concerned with the definition of obscenity and whether a particular work or type of material is obscene. * ''
Roth v. United States ''Roth v. United States'', 354 U.S. 476 (1957), along with its companion case ''Alberts v. California'', was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which redefined the Constitutional test for determining what constitutes o ...
'' (1957) * '' Alberts v. California'', (1957) * '' One, Inc. v. Olesen'', (1958) * ''
MANual Enterprises v. Day ''MANual Enterprises, Inc. v. Day'', 370 U.S. 478 (1962), is a decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that magazines consisting largely of photographs of nude or near-nude male models are not obscene within the meaning of . It was ...
'', (1962) * '' Jacobellis v. Ohio'' (1964) * '' Memoirs v. Massachusetts'', (1966) * '' Kois v. Wisconsin'' (1972) * '' Miller v. California'' (1973) * '' Jenkins v. Georgia'' (1974) * '' New York v. Ferber'' (1982) * '' Osborne v. Ohio'' (1990) * '' United States v. Stevens'' (2010)


As criminal offense

Appeals of criminal convictions for possessing, selling or distributing obscenity that focused on that issue * '' Rosen v. United States'' (1896) * '' Butler v. Michigan'' (1957) * ''
Smith v. California ''Smith v. California'', 361 U.S. 147 (1959), was a U.S. Supreme Court case upholding the freedom of the press. The decision deemed unconstitutional a city ordinance that made one in possession of obscene books criminally liable because it did not ...
'', (1959) * '' Ginzburg v. United States'', (1966) * ''
Mishkin v. New York Mishkin (Russian: Мишкин) is a Russian masculine surname, its feminine counterpart is Mishkina. It is derived from the masculine given name Mishka, a diminutive form of Mikhail. It may refer to the following people: * Lawrence Mishkin, Sales ...
'', (1966) * ''
Redrup v. New York ''Redrup v. New York'', 386 U.S. 767 (1967), was a May 8, 1967 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, widely regarded as the end of American censorship of written fiction. Robert Redrup was a Times Square newsstand clerk who sold tw ...
'' (1967) * '' Ginsberg v. New York'' (1968) * '' Stanley v. Georgia'' (1969) * '' Blount v. Rizzi'' (1971) * '' United States v. Reidel'' (1971) * '' Heller v. New York'' (1973) * '' United States v. Orito'' (1973) * '' Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville'' (1975) * '' United States v. X-Citement Video'' (1994)


Search, seizure and forfeiture

Cases involving the search and seizure of allegedly obscene material * '' Marcus v. Search Warrant'', (1961) * '' Quantity of Books v. Kansas'' (1964) * '' Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia'' (1968) * '' United States v. Thirty-seven Photographs'' (1971) * '' United States v. 12 200-ft. Reels of Film'' (1973) * '' Roaden v. Kentucky'' (1973) * '' Lo-Ji Sales, Inc., v. New York'' (1979) * '' Maryland v. Macon'' (1985) * '' New York v. P.J. Video, Inc.'' (1986)


Civil and administrative regulation

Cases dealing with civil and administrative regulatory procedures aimed at suppressing or restricting obscenity, such as film-licensing boards or zoning regulations. * '' Mutual Film Corp. v. Industrial Commission of Ohio'' (1915) * ''
Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson ''Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson'', 343 U.S. 495 (1952), also referred to as the ''Miracle Decision'', was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that largely marked the decline of motion picture censorship in the United States. ...
'' (1952) * '' Kingsley Books, Inc. v. Brown'' (1957) * '' Kingsley Int'l Pictures Corp. v. Regents of Univ. of N. Y.'' (1959) * '' Times Film Corp. v. Chicago'' (1961) * '' Bantam Books v. Sullivan'' (1963) * '' Freedman v. Maryland'' (1965) * ''
Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton ''Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton'', 413 U.S. 49 (1973), was a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a state court's injunction against the showing of obscene films in a movie theatre restricted to consenting adults. The Court distinguishe ...
'' (1973) * '' Young v. American Mini Theatres'' (1976) * '' Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.'' (1986) * ''
United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group ''United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group'', 529 U.S. 803 (2000), is a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court struck down Section 505 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which required that cable television operators completel ...
'' (2000)


Internet

Cases involving laws meant to restrict obscenity online * '' Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union'' (1997) * ''
Ashcroft v. American Civil Liberties Union ''Ashcroft v. American Civil Liberties Union'', 535 U.S. 564 (2002), followed by 542 U.S. 656 (2004), was a decision of the United States Supreme Court, ruling that the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) was unconstitutional as a violation of the ...
(2002)'' * '' Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition'' (2002)


Public employees

* ''
Pickering v. Board of Education ''Pickering v. Board of Education'', 391 U.S. 563 (1968), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that in the absence of proof of the teacher knowingly or recklessly making false statements the teacher had a right to speak o ...
'' (1968) * '' Board of Regents of State Colleges v. Roth'' (1972) * '' Perry v. Sindermann'' (1972) * '' Arnett v. Kennedy'' (1974) * '' Parker v. Levy'' (1974) * '' Madison School District v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission'' (1976) * '' Mt. Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle'' (1977) * '' Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District'' (1979) * '' Snepp v. United States'' (1980) * '' Connick v. Myers'' (1983) * '' Rankin v. McPherson'' (1987) * '' Waters v. Churchill'' (1994) * '' United States v. National Treasury Employees Union'' (1995) * '' Board of Commissioners, Wabaunsee County v. Umbehr,'' (1996) * '' San Diego v. Roe'' (2004) * '' Garcetti v. Ceballos'' (2007) * '' Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri'' (2011) * '' Lane v. Franks'' (2014) * '' Heffernan v. City of Paterson'' (2016) * '' Houston Community College System v. Wilson'',


Political activity and

Hatch Act of 1939 The Hatch Act of 1939, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States federal law. Its main provision prohibits civil service employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president and vice presi ...

* '' Ex parte Curtis'' (1882) * '' United Public Workers v. Mitchell'' (1947) * '' United States Civil Service Commission v. National Association of Letter Carriers'' (1973) * '' Broadrick v. Oklahoma'' (1973) * '' Elrod v. Burns'' (1976) * '' Branti v. Finkel'' (1979)


Public school students

Speech by students in public secondary schools * ''
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District ''Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District'', 393 U.S. 503 (1969), was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that defined First Amendment rights of students in U.S. public schools. The ''Tinker'' test, also ...
'' (1969) * '' Healy v. James'' (1972) * '' Board of Education v. Pico'' (1982) * '' Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser'' (1986) * '' Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier'' (1988) * '' Morse v. Frederick'' (2007) * '' Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.'' (2021)


Retaliation by public officials

Cases in which it has been alleged governmental officials retaliated for protected speech made by private citizens who are not employed by said officials. * '' Bridges v. California'' (1941) * '' Pennekamp v. Florida'' (1946) * '' Wood v. Georgia'' (1962) * '' Haig v. Agee'' (1981) * '' Gentile v. State Bar of Nevada'' (1991) * '' Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach'' (2018) * '' Nieves v. Bartlett'' (2019)


Symbolic speech

* '' United States v. O'Brien'' (1968) * '' Cohen v. California'' (1971) * '' Smith v. Goguen'' (1974) * '' Texas v. Johnson'' (1989) * '' United States v. Eichman'' (1990) * '' City of Erie v. Pap's A.M.'' (2000) * '' Virginia v. Black'' (2003)


Freedom of the press


Broadcast media

* '' Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC'' (1968) * '' CBS v. Democratic National Committee'' (1973) * '' FCC v. League of Women Voters of California'' (1984) * '' FCC v. Pacifica Foundation'' (1989) * '' Turner Broadcasting v. FCC'' (1995) * '' Bartnicki v. Vopper'' * '' FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. I'' (2009) * '' FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. II'' (2012)


Defamation

* '' Beauharnais v. Illinois'' (1952) * '' New York Times Co. v. Sullivan'' (1964) * '' Garrison v. Louisiana'' (1964) * '' Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts'' (1967) * '' St. Amant v. Thompson'' (1968) * '' Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.'' (1974) * '' Time, Inc. v. Firestone'' (1976) * ''
Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. ''Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc.'', 466 U.S. 485 (1984), was a product disparagement case ultimately decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court held, on a 6–3 vote, in favor of Consumers Union, the publi ...
'' (1981) * '' Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc.'' (1985) * '' McDonald v. Smith'' (1985) * '' Hustler Magazine v. Falwell'' (1988) * '' Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co.'' (1990) * '' Hoeper v. Air Wisconsin'' (2014)


Prior restraints and censorship

* '' Near v. Minnesota'' (1931) * '' Lovell v. City of Griffin'' (1938) * ''
Brandenburg v. Ohio ''Brandenburg v. Ohio'', 395 U.S. 444 (1969), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court interpreting the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Court held that the government cannot punish inflammatory speech unless that s ...
'' (1969) * ''
New York Times Co. v. United States ''New York Times Co. v. United States'', 403 U.S. 713 (1971), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on the First Amendment right of Freedom of the Press. The ruling made it possible for ''The New York Times'' and ''The ...
'' (1971) * '' Nebraska Press Assn. v. Stuart'' (1976) * '' Houchins v. KQED, Inc.'' (1978) * '' Tory v. Cochran'' (2005) * '' Citizens United v. FEC'' (2010)


Privacy

* '' Time, Inc. v. Hill'' (1967) * '' Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn'' (1975) * '' Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia'' (198

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/opinion/open-the-supreme-court-to-cameras.html] * '' Florida Star v. B. J. F.'' (1989) * '' Wilson v. Layne'' (1999)


Search and seizure

* '' Zurcher v. Stanford Daily'', (1978)


Taxation and privileges

* '' Grosjean v. American Press Co.'' (1936) * '' Branzburg v. Hayes'' (1972) * '' Minneapolis Star Tribune Company v. Commissioner'' (1983)


Freedom of assembly

* '' United States v. Cruikshank'', * ''
Presser v. Illinois ''Presser v. Illinois'', 116 U.S. 252 (1886), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that held, "Unless restrained by their own constitutions, state legislatures may enact statutes to control and regulate all organization ...
'', * '' De Jonge v. Oregon'', * '' Thomas v. Collins'',


Freedom of association

* '' Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath'' (1951) * '' Watkins v. United States'' (1957) * '' Sweezy v. New Hampshire'' (1957) * '' NAACP v. Alabama'' (1958) * '' Bates v. City of Little Rock'' (1960) * '' Shelton v. Tucker'' (1960) * '' Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee'' (1963) * '' Eastland v. United States Servicemen's Fund'' (1975) * '' Abood v. Detroit Board of Education'' (1977) * '' In re Primus'' (1978) * ''
Roberts v. United States Jaycees ''Roberts v. United States Jaycees'', 468 U.S. 609 (1984), was a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States overturning the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit's application of a Minnesota antidiscrimination law. The cas ...
'' (1984) * '' Rotary Int'l v. Rotary Club of Duarte'', 481 U.S. 537 (1987) * ''
Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston ''Hurley v. Irish American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston'', 515 U.S. 557 (1995), was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court regarding free speech rights, specifically the rights of groups to determine what message their activiti ...
'' (1995) * '' Boy Scouts of America v. Dale'' (2000) * '' California Democratic Party v. Jones'' (2000) * '' Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta'',


Freedom to petition

* '' United States v. Cruikshank'' (1876) * '' Thomas v. Collins'' (1945) * '' Eastern Railroad Presidents Conference v. Noerr Motor Freight, Inc.'' (1961) * '' NAACP v. Button'' (1963) * '' Edwards v. South Carolina'' (1963) * '' United Mine Workers v. Pennington'' (1965) * '' Cox v. Louisiana'' (1965) * ''
California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited ''California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited'', 404 U.S. 508 (1972), was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court involving the right to make petitions to the government. The right to petition is enshrined in the First Amendment to t ...
'' (1972) * '' Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees'' (1979) * '' McDonald v. Smith'' (1985) * '' Meyer v. Grant'' (1988) * '' Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation'' (1999) * '' BE and K Construction Co. V. National Labor Relations Board'' (2002) * '' Doe v. Reed'' (2010) * '' Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri'' (2011)


Further reading

* ''The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States''. Kermit L. Hall, ed. * ''The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions''. Kermit L. Hall, ed. * {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of United States Supreme Court Cases Involving The First Amendment
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...