The Supreme Court's decision in New York Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen radically changed the methodology by which courts analyze the constitutionality of firearm regulations under the Second Amendment. The historical test Bruen announced opened up challenges to all manner of firearm regulations--even those that had been described as "presumptively lawful" since the Court's last word on the subject in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago.

Our discussion will include an overview of Bruen's new analytical framework for Second Amendment challenges, a summary of lower courts’ examinations of status-based restrictions on firearm possession after Bruen, and a dive into litigation strategies and outcomes in Illinois federal and state courts in light of these new developments. We hope you will leave inspired to think creatively about bringing Second Amendment challenges on behalf of your clients charged with state or federal weapons offenses.