Professor J. Joel Alicea of Catholic Law brought his expertise to the 2025 Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention during a panel discussion titled The Viability of Bruen: Challenges and Applications. With two forthcoming law review articles—Bruen and the Founding-Era Conception of Rights, 101 Notre Dame L. Rev. (forthcoming 2026), and Bruen Was Right, 174 U. Pa. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2025)—Professor Alicea offered valuable insights into the evolving landscape of Second Amendment jurisprudence. His scholarship set the stage for a broader conversation about the Supreme Court’s approach to originalism, tradition, and individual rights.

The panel, moderated by the Honorable Paul B. Matey of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, also featured Professor Eric Ruben of SMU Dedman School of Law and Professor Mark W. Smith of Oxford University and Ave Maria School of Law. Together, they tackled pressing questions about how lower courts should apply NYSRPA v. Bruen in cases involving AR-15 bans. The discussion also explored whether the Heller/Bruen methodology aligns with the Court’s decision in United States v. Rahimi and how the Court might resolve Wolford v. Lopez, an upcoming Supreme Court case addressing the carrying of firearms on private property.

This engaging panel provided both theoretical and practical insights into the challenges and implications of the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment jurisprudence. By examining these issues, the panelists offered a deeper understanding of how the Court’s decisions are shaping the future of gun rights and regulation in the United States.

Click here to view the panel discussion.