Civil Rights: Civil Rights Legal Background

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Primary sources of the law, such as the Constitution, statutes, and court decisions all help to support a civil rights claim.  Below you will find a sampling of landmark Constitutional amendments, statutes, and cases that are frequently cited in civil rights litigation.

United States Constitution

• Bill of Rights
• 13th amendment
• 14th amendment
• 15th amendment

Federal Statutes

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Fair Housing Act, Pub.L. 90–284, Title VIII, Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 81
• Civil action for deprivation of rights, 42 U.S.C. 1983

Supreme Court Decisions

School Desegregation

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) 

Affirmative Action

• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978).
• Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306, 123 S. Ct. 2325, 156 L. Ed. 2d 304, 91 FEP Cases 1761 (2003)
• Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181, 143 S.Ct. 2141, 216 L.Ed.2d 857 (2023); See also Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina (2023) which was consolidated with the Harvard College case. 

Voting Rights

• Shelby County, Ala. v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529, 133 S.Ct. 2612, 186 L.Ed.2d 651 (2013)