Law

The Bruen Era

In New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court issued the biggest gun rights decision in a generation. Our database tracks Bruen’s sweeping legal ramifications, case by case.

  • 1,100+

    The number of people with felony convictions who have used Bruen to challenge the ban on them possessing guns.

  • 48%

    The rate at which Republican-appointed judges have struck down gun laws under Bruen, compared to 13 percent among Democratic-appointees.

  • 2

    The average number of Bruen-related rulings issued by federal judges each working day.

Law

More Than a Thousand Felons Have Challenged Their Gun Bans Since the Supreme Court’s Bruen Decision

The Trace reviewed more than 2,000 court cases that cited Bruen and found that no group has used the decision more often than people whose felony records bar them from possessing guns.
Chip Brownlee

Full Coverage

Lead Reporters

  • Chip Brownlee

    Reporter
    Chip is a reporter at The Trace covering federal policy related to violence prevention and firearms. He is also the author of The Trajectory newsletter, which spotlights the people, policies, and programs grappling with America’s gun violence crisis. 

    Before joining The Trace as an investigative fellow in June 2020, Chip worked as a reporter and the editor-in-chief of his collegiate newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman. He also covered the state legislature, governor, courts, and elections for the Alabama Political Reporter. As an undergraduate, Chip studied political science and journalism at Auburn University. He also earned an M.A. with a concentration in politics from the Columbia Journalism School.