David B. Kopel is Research Director at the Independence Institute; Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute; and Senior Fellow at the University of Wyoming College of Law, Firearms Research Center. He received his B.A. in history with Highest Honors from Brown University and his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.
He is the author of over 20 books, including the textbook Firearm Law and the Second Amendment: Regulation, Rights, and Policy (Aspen Pubs. 4th ed. forthcoming 2026). His scholarship and briefs have been cited 7 Supreme Court cases--including Heller, McDonald, and Bruen--and in 140 lower courts opinions. He is the author of 120 scholarly articles. His shorter articles often appear on The Volokh Conspiracy blog, hosted by Reason magazine. His topics of interest include the right to arms throughout history, the Colorado Constitution, and law enforcement policy.
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The Evolving Second Amendment: Supreme Court Rulings, Gun Policy, and the Road Ahead
Harrisburg Lawyers Chapter
The Fairness Center - The State Street Building500 North Third Street, Suite 600
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Something's Bruen: History and Tradition after Rahimi
Pennsylvania Student Chapter
University of Pennsylvania Law School3501 Sansom St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Gun Policy and the 2nd Amendment after Bruen
Denver Student Chapter
The Sturm College of Law of University of Denver2255 E Evans Ave
Denver, CO 80208
Heller 2.0: The Future of Gun Control in the Courts
Duke Student Chapter
Zoom Webinar -- DukeVirtual
Durham, NC 27708
2nd Amendment: Gun Control, Trends in Legislation, and the Future of our Constitutional Right
Colorado Student Chapter
Wolf Law Building Room 2052450 Kittredge Loop Dr.
Boulder , CO 80305
Voisine v. United States - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
SCOTUScast 8-18-16 featuring David Kopel
On June 27, 2016, the Supreme Court decided Voisine v. United States. Stephen Voisine was...
Mexico's Federal Law of Firearms and Explosives
Engage Volume 13, Issue 1, March 2012
In recent years, gun control has become an important international issue. For example, some persons...
"Health Laws of Every Description": John Marshall's Ruling on a Federal Health Care Law
Engage Volume 12, Issue 1, June 2011
If John Marshall, the greatest of Chief Justices, were to hear a challenge to the...
The Individual Health Care Mandate and Enumerated Powers
Faculty Division
Shortly after the health care reform bill was signed into law, the attorneys general of...
Does the Right to Arms Impede or Promote Economic Development?
In the 1960s, the United Nations resolved to “take on the development challenge.” The objectives...