Does the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act violate the due process clause by suspending habeas corpus or limiting access to the courts? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2001.
Castle Rock v. Gonzales (2005)
Does a court-issued restraining order create a property interest which is protected by the Due Process Clause? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2005.
Chicago v. Morales (1999)
Does a Chicago ordinance issued to lower the amount of gang activity through arrests of loiterers violate the Due Process Clause? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 1999.
A Conversation on the 14th Amendment with Justice Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg discusses with high school students the importance of the 14th Amendment’s three tenets: due process, equal protection, and privileges and immunities. A PDF lesson guide is provided.
Exploring the United States Constitution eBook
Each chapter connects one or more of the billions of primary source documents in the holdings of the National Archives to the principles found in the United States Constitution. These documents exemplify the workings of the three branches of the federal government as laid out in our Constitution. This eBook is available as a Multi-Touch book for iPad and Mac on iTunes, or for PC, Android devices, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or eReader with Scribd.
Yick Wo and the Equal Protection Clause
This documentary examines the case Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886) in which the Supreme Court held that noncitizens have due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause. A PDF lesson plan accompanies the video. The video A Conversation on the Importance of the Yick Wo Case complements the documentary.
14th Amendment: Battles for Equality
The 14th Amendment wrote the Declaration of Independence’s promise of freedom and equality into the Constitution. It transformed the Constitution forever. And it’s at the heart of what many scholars refer to as America’s “Second Founding.” Even so, the 14th Amendment is the focus of many of the most important constitutional debates (and Supreme Court cases) today. In many ways, the history of the modern Supreme Court is really a history of modern-day battles over the 14th Amendment’s meaning. Nearly every constitutional case that you care about today turns on the 14th Amendment.
U.S. v. Windsor (2013)
Does the DOMA deprive same-sex couples who are legally married under state laws of their Fifth Amendment rights to equal protection under federal law? This case study shows how the Supreme Court answered this question in 2013.