76 Supreme Trivia Questions with Answers
76 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Supreme Court trivia spans the judges, landmark rulings, constitutional principles, and legal history surrounding the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Questions range from the UK court’s judicial structure to cases involving free speech, federal power, school prayer, and racial segregation.
Test your knowledge of decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, and Mapp v. Ohio, or identify the justices who shaped American constitutional law. This collection suits law students, history classes, pub quizzes, and game nights where serious civic knowledge meets memorable legal cases.
Which Supreme Court case established the 'actual malice' standard for libel of public figures?
Answer
New York Times v. Sullivan
Which Supreme Court case applied the exclusionary rule to state courts?
Answer
Mapp v. Ohio
Which U.S. Supreme Court case established that states cannot tax the federal government?
Answer
McCulloch v. Maryland
Which U.S. Supreme Court case declared school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional?
Answer
Engel v. Vitale
Who was the only U.S. President to later serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
Answer
William Howard Taft
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the federal government could not ban child labor?
Answer
Hammer v. Dagenhart
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the death penalty is not inherently unconstitutional?
Answer
Gregg v. Georgia
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that the Fourth Amendment requires a warrant for wiretapping?
Answer
Katz v. United States
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel applies to state courts?
Answer
Gideon v. Wainwright
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that the Equal Protection Clause does not require equal school funding across districts?
Answer
San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the Eighth Amendment prevents execution of an insane prisoner?
Answer
Ford v. Wainwright
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that the First Amendment protects anonymous political speech?
Answer
McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission
Which U.S. Supreme Court case invalidated the line-item veto?
Answer
Clinton v. City of New York
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional?
Answer
Obergefell v. Hodges
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that public school students cannot be forced to salute the flag?
Answer
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
Who was the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
Answer
Thurgood Marshall
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that the Commerce Clause does not allow Congress to ban guns near schools?
Answer
United States v. Lopez
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that the President is not immune from criminal subpoenas?
Answer
United States v. Nixon
Which U.S. Supreme Court case struck down state sodomy laws?
Answer
Lawrence v. Texas
Which U.S. Supreme Court case established the 'one person, one vote' principle?
Answer
Reynolds v. Sims
Which U.S. Supreme Court case prohibited the government from banning flag burning?
Answer
Texas v. Johnson
Who was the only U.S. Supreme Court justice to have been impeached?
Answer
Samuel Chase
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that the Second Amendment is incorporated against the states?
Answer
McDonald v. Chicago
Which U.S. Supreme Court case established the 'Lemon test' for establishment clause?
Answer
Lemon v. Kurtzman
Which U.S. Supreme Court case recognized a constitutional right to abortion?
Answer
Roe v. Wade
Which U.S. Supreme Court case limited the use of race in college admissions?
Answer
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Which U.S. Supreme Court case held that executing juveniles is unconstitutional?
Answer
Roper v. Simmons
Which U.S. Supreme Court case struck down laws prohibiting birth control for married couples?
Answer
Griswold v. Connecticut
Which U.S. Supreme Court case established the right to bear arms for self-defense in the home?
Answer
District of Columbia v. Heller
Who was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada?
Answer
Bertha Wilson
Which U.S. Supreme Court case struck down the Defense of Marriage Act?
Answer
United States v. Windsor
Which U.S. Supreme Court case established the 'clear and present danger' test?
Answer
Schenck v. United States
Who wrote the majority opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade?
Answer
Harry Blackmun
Which U.S. Supreme Court case established the right to privacy in marital matters?
Answer
Griswold v. Connecticut
Which U.S. Supreme Court case legalized interracial marriage?
Answer
Loving v. Virginia
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ended racial segregation in public schools?
Answer
Brown v. Board of Education
Which U.S. Supreme Court case required police to inform suspects of their rights?
Answer
Miranda v. Arizona
Supreme trivia — quick answers
What are good Supreme Court trivia questions?
Good Supreme Court trivia questions cover landmark cases, notable justices, constitutional amendments, court structure, and legal doctrines. Examples include identifying the ruling that established the actual malice standard, naming the justice who wrote Brown v. Board of Education, and recognizing the case that applied the exclusionary rule to state courts.
How hard is Supreme Court trivia?
Supreme Court trivia ranges from accessible to challenging. Beginners may know famous cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, while harder questions ask about judicial careers, procedural doctrines, historical court membership, or distinctions between the U.S. and UK Supreme Courts.
Which Supreme Court case established the actual malice standard?
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan established the actual malice standard in 1964. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public officials suing for defamation must prove that a false statement was published either knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for whether it was false. The decision strengthened constitutional protection for criticism of government officials.
Which case applied the exclusionary rule to state courts?
Mapp v. Ohio applied the exclusionary rule to the states in 1961. The rule generally prevents prosecutors from using evidence obtained through unconstitutional searches or seizures. The decision incorporated the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches through the Fourteenth Amendment, making the rule binding on state as well as federal courts.
Who wrote the majority opinion in Brown v. Board of Education?
Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the unanimous majority opinion in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The Supreme Court held that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Warren’s opinion rejected the idea that separate educational facilities could be genuinely equal.