List of United States Supreme Court cases involving the First Amendment

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 establishment of religion

Blue laws

Government aid to church-related schools

Government-sponsored religious displays

Legislative prayer

Internal religious affairs (also involving the Free Exercise Clause)

Ministerial exception

Private religious speech

Religion in public schools

Religious institution functioning as a government agency

Standing to sue

Statutory religious exemptions

Unequal government treatment of different religious groups

  • Larson v. Valente, 456 U.S. 228 (1982)

Abortion and contraception

Other

The free exercise of religion

Exclusion of religion from public benefits

Polygamy

Free exercise and eminent domain

Free exercise and free speech

Free exercise and public education

Free exercise and public property

Internal religious affairs (also involving the Establishment Clause)

Ministerial exception

Religion and the right to work

Religious tests for public service or benefits

Ritual sacrifice of animals

Solicitation by religious groups

Statutory religious exemptions

Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

Other

Freedom of speech

  • Freedom of speech portal

Campaign finance

Commercial speech

Compelled speech

Compelled commercial speech

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

Loyalty oaths and affirmations

Content-based

Content-neutral

Sedition and imminent danger

False speech

Fighting words and the heckler's veto

Freedom of assembly and public forums

Time, place and manner

Cases concerning restrictions on the time, place, and manner of speech

Government speech

Cases pertaining to whether or not extending protections to speech constitutes government endorsement of speech.

Government-subsidized speech

Cases about restrictions on speech by third parties funded by the government.

Obscenity

Generally

Cases concerned with the definition of obscenity and whether a particular work or type of material is obscene.

As criminal offense

Appeals of criminal convictions for possessing, selling or distributing obscenity that focused on that issue

Search, seizure and forfeiture

Cases involving the search and seizure of allegedly obscene material

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.

Internet

Cases involving laws meant to restrict obscenity online

Public employees

Political activity and Hatch Act of 1939

Public school students

Speech by students in public secondary schools

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.

Symbolic speech

Freedom of the press

Broadcast media

  • FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. I (2009)
  • FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. II (2012)

Defamation

Prior restraints and censorship

Privacy

Search and seizure

Taxation and privileges

Freedom of assembly

Freedom of association

Freedom to petition

References

  1. ^ https://www.oyez.org/cases/2019/18-1195

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.
  • Alley, Robert S. (1999). The Constitution & Religion: Leading Supreme Court Cases on Church and State. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-57392-703-1.
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Public displays
and ceremonies
Statutory religious
exemptions
Public funding
Religion in
public schools
Private religious speech
Internal church affairs
Taxpayer standing
Blue laws
Other
Exclusion of religion
from public benefits
Ministerial exception
Statutory religious exemptions
RFRA
RLUIPA
Unprotected
speech
Incitement
and sedition
Libel and
false speech
Fighting words and
the heckler's veto
True threats
Obscenity
Speech integral
to criminal conduct
Strict scrutiny
Vagueness
Symbolic speech
versus conduct
Content-based
restrictions
Content-neutral
restrictions
In the
public forum
Designated
public forum
Nonpublic
forum
Compelled speech
Compelled subsidy
of others' speech
Compelled representation
Government grants
and subsidies
Government
as speaker
Loyalty oaths
School speech
Public employees
Hatch Act and
similar laws
Licensing and
restriction of speech
Commercial speech
Campaign finance
and political speech
Anonymous speech
State action
Official retaliation
Boycotts
Prisons
Prior restraints
and censorship
Privacy
Taxation and
privileges
Defamation
Broadcast media
Copyrighted materials
Incorporation
Protection from prosecution
and state restrictions
Organizations
Future Conduct
Solicitation
Membership restriction
Primaries and elections