Second Amendment Developments from Heller to Bruen

Join David B. Kopel, a Research Director of the Independence Institute, on an in-depth review of changes to the Second Amendment from Heller to Bruen.

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller and 2010 McDonald v. City of Chicago led to a period of major legal reform in the United States. Such reforms included broader recognition of the right to bear arms; protection of the rights of firearms businesses, such as gun stores and shooting ranges; protection of the right to keep and bear nonpowder arms, such as knives, defensive sprays, and electric stun guns; and more. This course describes the many changes resulting from these reforms. Additionally, Mr. Kopel will examine the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. v. Bruen, which held that state or local governments may not deny handgun carry permits where the applicant is not faced with a unique risk. Lastly, the program will explore the various legal doctrines judges employ to decide Second Amendment cases.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify how people's ability to exercise the right to keep and bear arms expanded in the years following the Supreme Court's 2008 decision in Heller and 2010 decision in McDonald
2. Examine the doctrines developed by lower courts since 2008
3. Recognize how the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. v. Bruen changed the doctrinal landscape