State’s ban on assault weapons likely constitutional, federal appeals court rules

A Massachusetts law that bans assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices is likely to survive a Second Amendment challenge, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Boston ruled last week.

Apr 21, 2025 2:17 PM CDT

Supreme Court upholds ‘ghost gun’ regulations, includes photos of ‘Buy Build Shoot’ parts kit

The federal government can regulate some “ghost guns” that can be made from kits under a federal law requiring vendor licensing, buyer background checks and stamping with serial numbers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Mar 26, 2025 11:53 AM CDT

9th Circuit judge brings out bag of firearms in unusual dissent video

Mar 21, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

Supreme Court appears likely to rule against Mexico in suit against gun-makers for cartel violence

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to side with U.S. gun companies arguing that Mexico cannot sue over the flow of firearms into the country because of a 2005 law providing gun-makers with immunity for third-party crimes committed with their products.

Mar 5, 2025 12:46 PM CST

Cutting Off the Cartels: Mexico takes aim at US gun manufacturers before the Supreme Court

Amid escalating tensions with its northern neighbor over immigration, drug smuggling, tariffs and other matters, Mexico is about to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court in a major lawsuit against members of the U.S. gun industry. Mexico alleges that U.S. gun manufacturers deliberately market and sell firearms that make their way to drug cartels, fueling an epidemic of violence.

Feb 27, 2025 8:54 AM CST

5th Circuit overrules itself, finds law banning handgun sales to adults younger than age 21 unconstitutional

After reexamining its precedent, a federal appeals court has ruled that a federal ban on handgun sales to youths ages 18 to 20 violates the Second Amendment.

Feb 4, 2025 11:23 AM CST

Hunter Biden special counsel defends probe, denounces Biden’s DOJ criticism

The special counsel who prosecuted President Joe Biden’s son Hunter defended his investigation in a report released Monday, rebutting claims by the president and his family that the cases were politically motivated.

Jan 14, 2025 12:45 PM CST

Top news stories of 2024

Every year, we like to give our readers a peek behind our analytics and share which of our stories got the most traffic. For 2024, we're sharing the top 10 news stories written for ABAJournal.com and the top five articles that also appeared in our magazine. The Second Amendment, law school rankings and retirement for lawyers all drew attention this year.

Dec 24, 2024 8:00 AM CST

NRA must hire court-approved compliance consultant, says judgment in New York’s civil suit

A civil lawsuit that sought the dissolution of the National Rifle Association has ended with a final judgment that reforms the group’s governance and requires court approval of deals to resolve a $5.4 million judgment against former CEO Wayne LaPierre.

Dec 17, 2024 12:11 PM CST

2nd Circuit sticks to its guns on constitutionality of concealed-carry law after SCOTUS remand

New York residents can’t carry handguns in sensitive locations and must show evidence of good moral character when applying for a concealed-carry license.

Oct 28, 2024 2:07 PM CDT

Supreme Court orders reconsideration of appellate decision on youths carrying guns

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday told a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision that blocked a Pennsylvania ban on youths openly carrying guns during a state of emergency.

Oct 15, 2024 2:46 PM CDT

Supreme Court appears likely to uphold regulation of ghost guns

The Supreme Court seemed poised on Tuesday to uphold a major gun regulation imposed by the Biden administration that requires background checks, serial numbers and sales records for the nearly untraceable firearms known as ghost guns.

Oct 8, 2024 12:42 PM CDT

Supreme Court’s sleepy-looking docket leaves room for potentially bigger cases to come

The U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term next week poised on the edge of uncertainty. The biggest case of the term may be one that isn’t even on the court’s docket yet.

Oct 3, 2024 12:04 PM CDT

States can’t ban guns in banks, hospitals and churches, but property owners can, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court on Friday refused to allow two states to ban guns in some locations but limited the impact of its decision when it ruled that property owners can reject firearms.

Sep 12, 2024 9:23 AM CDT

5th Circuit becomes ‘proving ground’ for aggressive arguments by conservatives

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans has become "a proving ground for some of the most aggressive conservative arguments in American law,” according to the New York Times.

Sep 4, 2024 8:59 AM CDT