Is There a Constitutional Right to Concealed Carry?

On November 3, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in New York State Rifle in Pistol Association Inc. V. Bruen. The case was brought by two men who were denied New York concealed carry permits along with New York’s National Rifle Association affiliate against the superintendent of the New York State Police, Kevin Bruen. The lawsuit challenges New York’s practice of only giving concealed carry permits—which allow owners to carry guns in public in a concealed manner—to those who can show that they have a special need to defend themselves.   On this week’s episode, host Jeffrey Rosen is joined by two legal scholars who filed briefs on opposing sides of the case—Judge J. Michael Luttig who filed in support of Bruen, and David Kopel who filed in support of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. They detail the arguments they made in their briefs as well as what’s at stake in this case, and debate whether text, history, and tradition do or do not support striking down the New York law. Additional resources and transcripts available at constitutioncenter.org/constitution. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.