The Marshall Court
Case Analysis Project
You have been given four Supreme Court cases to examine and analyze. Your responses to the questions
must be typed. You may submit a paper copy or email your responses as a Word or PDF file attachment to
the class [email protected]. Even better is to share as a Google Doc to [email protected]. All
responses should be written using correct English conventions of grammar, spelling, capitalization and
sentence structure. This is a major test grade.
For each case, you will respond to 2 sets of questions: Elements of the Case (4 questions) and Evaluation
of the Case (3 questions). Each court case should be typed on a separate page. 4 cases = 4 pages (but all
ONE document)
Elements of the Case
These are the same 4 questions for each case. They are questions that simply require you to understand
what you have read about each case. I am looking for specific pieces of information that must be accurate
to receive credit. Below are some guidelines for how to correctly answer these questions.
1. State the issue before the Supreme Court in this case.
The issue is always a question to which the Supreme Court must decide an answer. You will find it
in the reading and may copy it verbatim. This is the only time that you may answer by copying
directly from the case material.
2. What facts of the case were presented to the Court?
This is NOT the decision the Court makes, but rather the opposing claims and supporting evidence
each side made to the justices. Your explanation should look something like this:
 Marbury contended that (blah, blah, blah) because (blah, blah, blah). Madison contended
that (blah, blah, blah) because (blah, blah, blah).
 Often the supporting evidence will include important events leading up to the dispute.
3. What was the decision of the Court? What was the rationale behind it?
This is pretty straightforward. Exactly what did the justices decide? (Which side won?) Was it
unanimous or a split decision? Rationale means reason. What was the reasoning behind the
justices’ decision? This is important. Don’t forget to address this part of the question.
4. What was the effect of the decision?
This is extremely important. These are called “landmark” cases because they are significant in our
history. The decision made in each case would continue to affect how the Constitution or other
laws would be interpreted up to the present day. So explain what significant legal precedent is
established by each case.
Evaluation of the Case
These are 3 questions that differ with each case. They require you to use your own reasoning skills to apply
the facts of the case to other situations. Be sure that your answers are thorough and clearly stated.
Although these are your interpretations, your answers can still be inadequate if you do not demonstrate
clear and logical critical thinking skills in your discussion.
*Note – the attached pages with lines are simply for you to make notes. Your final responses must be
typed as explained above.