Federalism cases at the Supreme Court

Cases about the balance of power between the national government and the states, especially federal preemption of state law and national supremacy disputes.

Issues in this area

Number of decisions SCDB assigns to each specific issue. Issues with at least 5 decisions have their own page.

Decisions that altered precedent or struck down a law (48)

• United States v. WashingtonLaw held unconstitutional
  2022 U.S. LEXIS 3010Decided June 21, 20229–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Allen v. CooperLaw held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 994Decided March 23, 20209–0Elena Kagan
• Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
  138 S. Ct. 1461Decided May 14, 20187–2Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Daniel Coleman v. Court of Appeals of MarylandLaw held unconstitutional
  566 U.S. 30Decided March 20, 20125–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Central Virginia Community College v. Bernard KatzAltered precedent
  546 U.S. 356Decided January 23, 20065–4John Paul Stevens
• Paul D. Lapides v. Board of Regents of the University System of GeorgiaAltered precedent
  535 U.S. 613Decided May 13, 20029–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Lorillard Tobacco Company v. Thomas F. ReillyLaw held unconstitutional
  533 U.S. 525Decided June 28, 20015–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Patricia GarrettLaw held unconstitutional
  531 U.S. 356Decided February 21, 20015–4William H. Rehnquist
• Stephen P. Crosby v. National Foreign Trade CouncilLaw held unconstitutional
  530 U.S. 363Decided June 19, 20009–0David H. Souter
• United States v. Antonio J. MorrisonLaw held unconstitutional
  529 U.S. 598Decided May 15, 20005–4William H. Rehnquist
• J. Daniel Kimel, Jr. v. Florida Board of RegentsLaw held unconstitutional
  528 U.S. 62Decided January 11, 20005–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank and United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
  527 U.S. 627Decided June 23, 19995–4William H. Rehnquist
• College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense BoardAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  527 U.S. 666Decided June 23, 19995–4Antonin Scalia
• John H. Alden v. MaineLaw held unconstitutional
  527 U.S. 706Decided June 23, 19995–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Jay Printz v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
  521 U.S. 898Decided June 27, 19975–4Antonin Scalia
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. FloridaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  517 U.S. 44Decided March 27, 19965–4William H. Rehnquist
• U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Ray ThorntonLaw held unconstitutional
  514 U.S. 779Decided May 22, 19955–4John Paul Stevens
• United States v. Alfonso Lopez, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
  514 U.S. 549Decided April 26, 19955–4William H. Rehnquist
• New York v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
  505 U.S. 144Decided June 19, 19926–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• Davis v. Michigan Department of the TreasuryLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 803Decided March 28, 19898–1Anthony M. Kennedy
• Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 141Decided February 21, 19899–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• South Carolina v. BakerAltered precedent
  485 U.S. 505Decided April 20, 19887–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• George S. Bennett v. ArkansasLaw held unconstitutional
  485 U.S. 395Decided March 29, 19889–0Per curiam
• Rose v. Arkansas State PoliceLaw held unconstitutional
  479 U.S. 1Decided November 3, 19868–1Per curiam
• Lawrence County v. Lead-Deadwood School District No. 40-1Law held unconstitutional
  469 U.S. 256Decided January 9, 19857–2Byron R. White
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. HaldermanAltered precedent
  465 U.S. 89Decided January 23, 19845–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Sporhase v. Nebraska ex Rel. DouglasAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  458 U.S. 941Decided July 2, 19827–2John Paul Stevens
• Hughes v. OklahomaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  441 U.S. 322Decided April 24, 19797–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Oregon ex Rel. State Land Board v. Corvallis Sand & Gravel Co.Altered precedent
  429 U.S. 363Decided January 12, 19776–3William H. Rehnquist
• Lodge 76 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations CommissionAltered precedent
  427 U.S. 132Decided June 25, 19766–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• United States v. Tax Commission of MississippiLaw held unconstitutional
  421 U.S. 599Decided June 2, 19757–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Zschernig v. MillerLaw held unconstitutional
  389 U.S. 429Decided January 15, 19687–1William O. Douglas
• Nash v. Florida Industrial CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
  389 U.S. 235Decided December 5, 19678–0Hugo L. Black
• Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for California v. Ammex Warehouse Co. of San Ysidro, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  378 U.S. 124Decided June 15, 19647–2Per curiam
• Hostetter v. Idlewild Bon Voyage Liquor Corp.Law held unconstitutional
  377 U.S. 324Decided June 1, 19646–2Potter Stewart
• Department of Revenue v. James B. Beam Distilling Co.Law held unconstitutional
  377 U.S. 341Decided June 1, 19646–2Potter Stewart
• Local No. 438 Construction & General Laborers' Union v. CurryAltered precedent
  371 U.S. 542Decided January 21, 19639–0Byron R. White
• Smith v. Evening News AssociationAltered precedent
  371 U.S. 195Decided December 10, 19628–1Byron R. White
• Free v. BlandLaw held unconstitutional
  369 U.S. 663Decided May 21, 19627–0Earl Warren
• Federal Land Bank of Wichita v. Board of County Commissioners of Kiowa CountyLaw held unconstitutional
  368 U.S. 146Decided December 11, 19619–0Earl Warren

See all 48

Most recent decisions

• Monsanto Company v. Durnell
  146 S. Ct. 2001Decided June 25, 20267–2Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC
  608 U.S. 219Decided May 14, 20269–0Amy Coney Barrett
• Doe v. Dynamic Physical Therapy
  607 U.S. 11Decided December 8, 20259–0Per curiam
• Cantero v. Bank of America
  144 S. Ct. 1290Decided May 30, 20249–0Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Cruz v. Arizona
  598 U.S. 17Decided February 22, 20235–4Sonia Sotomayor
• Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety
  142 S. Ct. 2455Decided June 29, 20225–4Stephen G. Breyer
• Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta
  142 S. Ct. 2486Decided June 29, 20225–4Brett M. Kavanaugh
• United States v. WashingtonLaw held unconstitutional
  2022 U.S. LEXIS 3010Decided June 21, 20229–0Stephen G. Breyer
• United States v. Texas
  142 S. Ct. 522Decided December 10, 20218–1Per curiam
• Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association
  141 S. Ct. 474Decided December 10, 20208–0Sonia Sotomayor
• Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico v. Aurelius Investment, LLC
  140 S. Ct. 1649Decided June 1, 20209–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Allen v. CooperLaw held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 994Decided March 23, 20209–0Elena Kagan
• Kansas v. Garcia
  140 S. Ct. 791Decided March 3, 20205–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan v. Feliciano
  140 S. Ct. 696Decided February 24, 20209–0Per curiam
• Virginia Uranium v. Warren
  139 S. Ct. 1894Decided June 17, 20196–3Neil M. Gorsuch
• Parker Drilling Management Services, Ltd. v. Newton
  139 S. Ct. 1881Decided June 10, 20199–0Clarence Thomas
• Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. v. Albrecht
  139 S. Ct. 1688Decided May 20, 20199–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Dawson v. Steager
  139 S. Ct. 698Decided February 20, 20199–0Neil M. Gorsuch
• Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
  138 S. Ct. 1461Decided May 14, 20187–2Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Howell v. Howell
  137 S. Ct. 1400Decided May 15, 20178–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Coventry Health Care of Missouri v. Nevils
  137 S. Ct. 1190Decided April 18, 20178–0Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Hughes v. PPL Energyplus
  578 U.S. 150Decided April 19, 20168–0Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
  577 U.S. 312Decided March 1, 20166–2Anthony M. Kennedy
• Oneok, Inc. v. Learjet, Inc.
  575 U.S. 373Decided April 21, 20157–2Stephen G. Breyer
• CTS Corp. v. Waldburger
  573 U.S. 1Decided June 9, 20147–2Anthony M. Kennedy
• Northwest, Inc. v. Ginsberg
  572 U.S. 273Decided April 2, 20149–0Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Mutual Pharmaceutical Company, Inc. v. Karen L. Bartlett
  570 U.S. 472Decided June 24, 20135–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• American Trucking Associations, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles
  569 U.S. 641Decided June 13, 20139–0Elena Kagan
• Tarrant Regional Water District v. Rudolf John Herrmann
  569 U.S. 614Decided June 13, 20139–0Sonia Sotomayor
• Jacqueline Hillman v. Judy A. Maretta
  569 U.S. 483Decided June 3, 20139–0Sonia Sotomayor

Search all 420 Federalism decisions

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error