Cooper v. Aaron (1958)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
After Brown v. Board of Education, Arkansas officials resisted desegregation at Little Rock Central High School. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states are bound by Supreme Court decisions and cannot nullify or delay constitutional rights through state action.

3) Why It Mattered
This case established that Supreme Court rulings are the supreme law of the land, binding on all states and officials. It directly confronted efforts to resist desegregation.