Yeager v. Corriher

Griswold v. Connecticut

381 U.S. 479 (1965)

Struck down a Connecticut statute criminalizing the use of contraceptives by married couples. Justice Douglas, writing for the majority, held that the Bill of Rights contains penumbras and emanations creating a constitutional right to privacy. This right to marital privacy became the foundation for subsequent decisions including Roe v. Wade.

Roe v. Wade

410 U.S. 113 (1973)

Held that a woman's right to choose an abortion is protected by the constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Established a trimester framework governing state regulation of abortion. One of the most controversial decisions in Court history, it was overruled by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022.

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey

505 U.S. 833 (1992)

Reaffirmed Roe v. Wade's core holding that the Constitution protects a woman's right to an abortion before viability, but replaced the trimester framework with an 'undue burden' standard. States may regulate abortion so long as they do not place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion. Overruled by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022).

Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt

579 U.S. 582 (2016)

Struck down Texas abortion clinic regulations requiring doctors to have hospital admitting privileges and clinics to meet ambulatory surgical center standards. Applied Casey's undue burden standard and held that courts must weigh a law's burdens against its benefits. Found the Texas law provided no medical benefit while substantially reducing access to abortion.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

597 U.S. 215 (2022)

Overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, holding that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Justice Alito's majority opinion held that abortion is not deeply rooted in the Nation's history and traditions, and returned the authority to regulate abortion entirely to the states and the people through their elected representatives.