Thread by @JoshuaMatz8

Alongside colleagues at @KaplanHecker, I'm proud to represent @GiffordsCourage at #SCOTUS in an important Second Amendment case, NYSRPA v. Bruen.

You can read our brief here: kaplanhecker.com/sites/default/…

We make three major arguments in the brief ... 🧵

First, we emphasize that Heller recognized a right centered on self-defense—but our traditions narrowly define when people are lawfully allowed to use lethal force in self-defense.

The history of self-defense principles thus confirms important limits on Second Amendment rights.

Second, we highlight that the plaintiffs advance a startling, dangerous claim: that the Constitution mandates a substantial role for private violence and the threat of such violence in sustaining public safety.

We show the many ways in which the Constitution rejects that notion.

Finally, we warn that unbounded public carry rights will threaten core First Amendment protections—especially for women and racial minorities.

In this Nation, we do not exalt private violence and vigilante justice over our shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

We conclude: "An individual right to keep and bear arms for potential future self-defense offers no warrant to turn public squares into dueling grounds."