Great Cases: American Legal History
- Grades 7-11
- CTY-Level
-
Residential
- History and Social Science
Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes stated that the law is both a mirror and a motor for society. Landmark cases frequently have an impact well beyond the courtroom, reflecting deeper truths about America and driving both legal and social thinking in new directions. But what does it mean when the Supreme Court changes direction and abandons its own precedent? Historical cases like Marbury v. Madison, Lochner v. New York, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and more recent cases like Roe v. Wade and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Clinic, Obergefell v. Hodges, Chevron v. NRDC, Nixon v. Fitzgerald and Trump v. United States show a court and country grappling with changing values and the impact these changes have on people’s lives. This history course examines cases related to civil rights, due process, and the power and limit of the government within their historical, political, and social contexts. You and your classmates will develop your close-reading and persuasive-writing skills by engaging in debates, simulations, group projects, and individual research, and learn to analyze and critique the most important legal decisions in America, from the ratification of the Constitution to today.
Typical Class Size: 16-18
This course is
ungraded.
Summer Dates & Locations
After May 2, 2025, registration is available upon request pending eligibility and seat availability. To request placement, email [email protected] after submitting a program application.
Session One
Session Two
Testing and Prerequisites
| Math | Verbal | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Level | Not required | CTY-Level |
Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.
Sign up for Testing Learn MoreCost and Financial Aid
Tuition
- Varies
Application fee
- Nonrefundable Application Fee - $55 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
- Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)
We have concluded our financial aid application review process for 2025 On-Campus Programs. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible. We are committed to serving all talented youth regardless of financial circumstances. Financial assistance is available based on need.
Course Materials
Students should bring basic school supplies like pens, notebooks, and folders to their summer program. You will be notified of any additional items needed before the course begins. All other materials will be provided by CTY.
Sample Reading
These titles have been featured in past sessions of the course, and may be included this summer. CTY provides students with all texts; no purchase is required.
- American Legal History: Cases and Materials, by Kermit L. Hall and Paul Finkelman
About History and Social Science at CTY
Enhance your critical thinking skills
Expand your ability to reason through difficult problems by taking one of our philosophy or logic classes. Learn how to craft strong and clear arguments in Big Questions, or explore the techniques of logic that lawyers, doctors, and mathematicians utilize to be successful in their fields in Logic: Principles of Reasoning.
Explore social justice in action
Develop knowledge and skills that will help you address issues of systemic inequality throughout the world. Engage the historical and legal challenges different populations face in Great Cases and Laws and Orders.
Meet our instructors and staff
When I was a student at CTY, I was excited to be in a place where all of the instructors and program assistants loved learning as much as I did. It wasn't until I came back as a PA that I realized CTY instructors feel just as excited to work with such dedicated and curious students.
Nick Smith
Program Assistant and CTY Alum
CTY is one of the highlights of my year. Even though it’s the summer, the immersive learning in a subject where these students truly excel and shine is invigorating for me as a teacher.
Lauren LaPorta
Writing Instructor
CTY students have a contagious energy combined with a thirst for knowledge that I look forward to each summer. They remind me of why I became a teacher.
Antonia Richards
Chemistry Instructor