About the Course

Great Cases: American Legal History

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
 

Learning Objectives

This course is

ungraded.

Summer Dates & Locations

Registration deadline:

After May 9, 2025, registration is available upon request pending eligibility and seat availability. To request placement, email [email protected] after submitting a program application.

Session One

Image of Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
-
Residential cost: $7,259
Commuter cost: $6,459
Enroll
Image of the University of California Santa Cruz campus
UC-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
-
Residential cost: $7,501
Commuter cost: $6,701
Enroll

Session Two

Image of Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
-
Residential cost: $7,259
Commuter cost: $6,459
Enroll
Image of the University of California Santa Cruz campus
UC-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
-
Residential cost: $7,501
Commuter cost: $6,701
Enroll

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level Not required CTY-Level
Check your eligibility using existing test scores If you do not have existing test scores:

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 More

Cost and Financial Aid

  • Tuition
    • Varies
  • Application fee
    • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $55 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
    • Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)

Financial Aid is available
We are committed to serving all talented youth regardless of financial circumstances. Financial assistance is available based on need.

Learn More

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