Supreme Court Cases The Supreme Court is the highest Court in the land. Their decisions impact the nation and can have far reaching effects. There have been many notable Supreme Court decisions over the last 200+ years

Supreme Court There are nine (9) Justices on the Supreme Court who choose what cases to listen to each year. Though there are thousands of appeals to the Supreme Court every year, only a few dozen make it through to the justices. The Justices hear the arguments of both sides of a case then deliberate and make a decision.

Agreement and Dissent The Justices each have a vote on the court’s decision. The majority is known as the agreeing side, while the minority is the dissenting side. The Dissenting side writes a summary of their opinion and reason for disagreeing with the majority. Ultimately it is the majority decision that stands.

Ties and stalemate In rare instances the Supreme Court has had even numbers, usually after a retirement or death. This was the case recently, while the Republican-led Senate refused to consider a new nomination from President Obama. With only 8 justices, ties are likely to occur. When they do, the decision of the second highest court stands.

Garland and Gorsuch After the death of Antonin Scalia, President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill the newly vacated seat Republican senators, who held the majority in the Senate, refused to hold any hearings or votes on Garland because Obama was in his last year of office Garland’s nomination lasted 293 days. He completed all the requirements of a typical nominee, including providing the senate with all of his writings, decisions, and answers to a 100-page questionnaire On January 31, 2017, Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill Scalia’s vacancy. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 7, 2017.

Project Along with a partner, you will be researching important court cases. You must pick one of the following cases, and no two groups can research the same case: 1- Tinker vs. Des Moines 2- New Jersey vs. TLO 3- Roper vs. Simmons 4- Texas vs. Johnson 5- Korematsu v. United States 6- Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeir 7- Regents of University of California vs. Bakke 8- Mapp vs. Ohio 9- Terry vs. Ohio 10- Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission 11- Grutter vs. Bollinger 12- Kent vs. United States 13- Vernonia School District vs. Acton Griff 14- Buckley vs. Valeo 15- United States vs. Nixon

Project requirements and grading Every presentation must include the following information: Title of case (underlined and properly cited) Example: Marbury v. Madison (1803) Background and historical circumstances- who was involved, what happened, where and when did it occur, how and why was the case brought to the Supreme Court Explicitly and succinctly explain the issue at hand (what question the court is deciding on) Arguments of both sides EXPLAIN the verdict: how did the court rule? Which justices agreed and which dissented? What was the reasoning behind the majority opinion? Dissent- what was the dissenting opinion? Rights affected by the court case Legacy of the case and its impact for the future Should include at least 3 images and one quote from the majority opinion Sources should be cited in APA Format, and at least 3 separate VALID sources should be used

Grading Assignment grade Presentation Grade I will collect a copy of your presentation, either digital or hard copy. I am looking for all the required information from the outline above. You must also formally cite all sources. This grade is based on your effort and presentation preparation. Every member should have defined roles in the presentation and be prepared. Everyone should also know the court case in and out and be able to present any and every part, as well as answer questions.