First Amendment cases at the Supreme Court

Cases about freedom of speech, press, assembly and association, campaign spending, loyalty oaths and internal-security laws, obscenity, and the free exercise and establishment of religion.

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 (198)

• National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  2026 U.S. LEXIS 2886Decided June 30, 20266–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Chiles v. SalazarLaw held unconstitutional
  607 U.S. 627Decided March 31, 20268–1Neil M. Gorsuch
• Kennedy v. Bremerton School DistrictAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 2407Decided June 27, 20226–3Neil M. Gorsuch
• Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1987Decided June 21, 20226–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Federal Election Commission v. Ted Cruz for SenateLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1638Decided May 16, 20226–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Shurtleff v. City of BostonLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1583Decided May 2, 20229–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. BontaLaw held unconstitutional
  141 S. Ct. 2373Decided July 1, 20216–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 2335Decided July 6, 20206–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Espinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 2246Decided June 30, 20205–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Iancu v. BrunettiLaw held unconstitutional
  139 S. Ct. 2294Decided June 24, 20196–3Elena Kagan
• Minnesota Voters Alliance v. ManskyLaw held unconstitutional
  138 S. Ct. 1876Decided June 14, 20187–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• Trinity Lutheran Church v. ComerLaw held unconstitutional
  137 S. Ct. 2012Decided June 26, 20177–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• Matal v. TamLaw held unconstitutional
  137 S. Ct. 1744Decided June 19, 20178–0Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Packingham v. North CarolinaLaw held unconstitutional
  137 S. Ct. 1730Decided June 19, 20178–0Anthony M. Kennedy
• Reed v. Town of GilbertLaw held unconstitutional
  576 U.S. 155Decided June 18, 20159–0Clarence Thomas
• McCutcheon v. FECLaw held unconstitutional
  572 U.S. 185Decided April 2, 20145–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  570 U.S. 205Decided June 20, 20136–2John G. Roberts Jr.
• United States v. Xavier AlvarezLaw held unconstitutional
  567 U.S. 709Decided June 28, 20126–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Steve BullockLaw held unconstitutional
  567 U.S. 516Decided June 25, 20125–4Per curiam
• Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
  565 U.S. 171Decided January 11, 20129–0John G. Roberts Jr.
• Edmund G. Brown, Jr. v. Entertainment Merchants AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
  564 U.S. 786Decided June 27, 20117–2Antonin Scalia
• Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club Pac v. Ken BennettLaw held unconstitutional
  564 U.S. 721Decided June 27, 20115–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Sorrell v. Ims Health Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  564 U.S. 552Decided June 23, 20116–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• United States v. Robert J. StevensLaw held unconstitutional
  559 U.S. 460Decided April 20, 20108–1John G. Roberts Jr.
• Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  558 U.S. 310Decided January 21, 20105–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Davis v. FECLaw held unconstitutional
  554 U.S. 724Decided June 26, 20085–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  551 U.S. 449Decided June 25, 20075–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• Neil Randall v. William H. SorrellLaw held unconstitutional
  548 U.S. 230Decided June 26, 20066–3Stephen G. Breyer
• McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union of KentuckyLaw held unconstitutional
  545 U.S. 844Decided June 27, 20055–4David H. Souter
• Mitch McConnell v. Federal Election CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
  540 U.S. 93Decided December 10, 20035–4John Paul Stevens
• Virginia v. Barry Elton BlackLaw held unconstitutional
  538 U.S. 343Decided April 7, 20037–2Sandra Day O'Connor
• Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of StrattonLaw held unconstitutional
  536 U.S. 150Decided June 17, 20028–1John Paul Stevens
• Tommy G. Thompson v. Western States Medical CenterLaw held unconstitutional
  535 U.S. 357Decided April 29, 20025–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• John D. Ashcroft v. the Free Speech CoalitionLaw held unconstitutional
  535 U.S. 234Decided April 16, 20026–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• United States and Department of Agriculture v. United Foods, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  533 U.S. 405Decided June 25, 20016–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• Bartnicki v. VopperLaw held unconstitutional
  532 U.S. 514Decided May 21, 20016–3John Paul Stevens
• Legal Services Corporation v. Carmen VelazquezLaw held unconstitutional
  531 U.S. 533Decided February 28, 20015–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. HelmsAltered precedent
  530 U.S. 793Decided June 28, 20006–3Clarence Thomas
• United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  529 U.S. 803Decided May 22, 20005–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Greater New Orleans Broadcasting Association, Inc., Etc. v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
  527 U.S. 173Decided June 14, 19999–0John Paul Stevens

See all 198

Most recent decisions

• National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  2026 U.S. LEXIS 2886Decided June 30, 20266–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Chiles v. SalazarLaw held unconstitutional
  607 U.S. 627Decided March 31, 20268–1Neil M. Gorsuch
• Olivier v. City of Brandon
  607 U.S. 552Decided March 20, 20269–0Elena Kagan
• Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton
  145 S. Ct. 2291Decided June 27, 20256–3Clarence Thomas
• Mahmoud v. Taylor
  145 S. Ct. 2332Decided June 27, 20256–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission
  605 U.S. 238Decided June 5, 20259–0Sonia Sotomayor
• Tiktok, Inc. v. Garland
  145 S. Ct. 57Decided January 17, 20259–0Per curiam
• Moody v. Netchoice, LLC
  144 S. Ct. 2383Decided July 1, 20249–0Elena Kagan
• Gonzalez v. Trevino
  144 S. Ct. 1663Decided June 20, 20248–1Per curiam
• Vidal v. Elster
  602 U.S. 286Decided June 13, 20249–0Clarence Thomas
• National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo
  602 U.S. 175Decided May 30, 20249–0Sonia Sotomayor
• Lindke v. Freed
  601 U.S. 187Decided March 15, 20249–0Amy Coney Barrett
• O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier
  601 U.S. 205Decided March 15, 20249–0Per curiam
• Counterman v. Colorado
  600 U.S. 66Decided June 27, 20237–2Elena Kagan
• United States v. Hansen
  599 U.S. 762Decided June 23, 20237–2Amy Coney Barrett
• Kennedy v. Bremerton School DistrictAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 2407Decided June 27, 20226–3Neil M. Gorsuch
• Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1987Decided June 21, 20226–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Federal Election Commission v. Ted Cruz for SenateLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1638Decided May 16, 20226–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Shurtleff v. City of BostonLaw held unconstitutional
  142 S. Ct. 1583Decided May 2, 20229–0Stephen G. Breyer
• City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Texas Inc
  142 S. Ct. 1464Decided April 21, 20226–3Sonia Sotomayor
• Houston Community College System v. Wilson
  142 S. Ct. 1253Decided March 24, 20229–0Neil M. Gorsuch
• Ramirez v. Collier
  142 S. Ct. 1264Decided March 24, 20228–1John G. Roberts Jr.
• Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. BontaLaw held unconstitutional
  141 S. Ct. 2373Decided July 1, 20216–3John G. Roberts Jr.
• Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.
  141 S. Ct. 2038Decided June 23, 20218–1Stephen G. Breyer
• Tanzin v. Tanvir
  141 S. Ct. 486Decided December 10, 20208–0Clarence Thomas
• Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
  140 S. Ct. 2049Decided July 8, 20207–2Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 2335Decided July 6, 20206–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Espinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
  140 S. Ct. 2246Decided June 30, 20205–4John G. Roberts Jr.
• U.S. Agency for Int'l Development v. Alliance for Open Society Int'l
  140 S. Ct. 2082Decided June 29, 20205–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Thompson v. Hebdon
  140 S. Ct. 348Decided November 25, 20199–0Per curiam

Search all 710 First Amendment 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