Visualizing "Lines" of Cases: the SCOTUS Mapping Project

Are you a visual learner? Are you fascinated with the myriad tangled ways in which cases fit together to form the complex legal doctrines associated w/topics like "reasonable expectation of privacy" or "clear and present danger"?

If so, you should definitely check out Baltimore Law's SCOTUS Mapping Project.

These maps can help law students navigate the salty seas of Supreme Court jurisprudence by plotting the relationships between cases, making the different "lines" of cases quite literal. A quick look at the "clear and present danger" map should give you an idea of how it works:

The project has a library with plenty of useful maps on a wide variety of important doctrines and subjects, including a detailed "atlas" for charting the tortuous strains of the 4th Amendment.

Plus, if you fancy yourself a constitutional cartographer, the mapping tool is available online.

Check out our libguides on related topics like constitutional research and legal resources for the public.