Legal Concepts

Equal Protection

This is the idea that people who are in the same situation must be treated the same by the government. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees that individuals are treated equally regardless of their race, gender, religion, nationality, or other characteristics.

Landmark Cases Involving Equal Protection:

Students in a segregated, one-room school in Waldorf, Maryland (1941)

Brown v. Board of Education

Segregation in Public Education is Unconstitutional
A drawing of two African slaves.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

Enslaved People Are Not Citizens and Cannot Sue
A flier reading "instructions to all persons of Japanese ancestry living in the following area."

Korematsu v. United States

Japanese American Internment During World War II was Constitutional
A crowd in front of the supreme court holding flags for gay pride and equality. There are signs reading "love for all" and "equality forward."

Obergefell v. Hodges

Same-Sex Couples Have a Constitutional Right to Marry
A photo of a black man drinking from a segregated water fountain.

Plessy v. Ferguson

"Separate but Equal" Segregation is Upheld
A crowd of protestors holding signs to denounce Bakke. Some signs read "we deserve quality education" and "women against Bakke."

Regents of the U. of California v. Bakke

Affirmative Action Must Be Limited and Race Cannot Be Sole Criterion

Learn more about equal protection in Wex, a free legal dictionary and encyclopedia from Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute. 

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