The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, but its scope is a subject of vigorous debate. While gun ownership and gun violence have increased in the United States in recent years, gun control initiatives have gained little traction. This class will examine the history of the Second Amendment, various gun control measures enacted or proposed by the states and the federal government, and how the Supreme Court and lower federal courts have interpreted the scope of the Second Amendment. A major focus will be the Supreme Court’s landmark 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, in which the Court recognized an individual right of gun ownership under the Second Amendment, and subsequent decisions by state and federal courts.
ZOOM LINK: Available on website to paid and registered members
CLASS LIMIT: 95
INSTRUCTOR: John S. Ross, III, holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law and served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington & Lee University. He has taught several courses for WISE on constitutional law topics.
REQUIRED BOOK: Guns and Control: Nonpartisan Guide to Understanding Mass Public Shootings, Gun Accidents, Crime, Public Carry, Suicides, Defensive Use and More, Smith, 2020. ISBN: 9781510760073.
OPTIONAL BOOKS: Gun Fight: The Battle Over Gun Rights in America, Winkler, 2014. ISBN: 9780393077414. The Second Amendment: A Biography, Waldman, 2014. ISBN: 9781476747453.