Regional Rounds of the 58th Annual National Moot Court Competition

The Association of the Bar of the City of New York in conjunction with the American College of Trial Lawyers will host the 58th Annual Moot Court Competition this Wednesday, November 14 and Thursday, November 15. The competition presents two issues not previously addressed by the US Supreme Court: First, does the Second Amendment protect an individual’s right to "keep and bear" arms for private use? And, second, does the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act preempt a State from exercising its own public health and police powers to regulate the delivery of handgun ammunition?

The issues facing the Moot Court teams are not mere academic exercises. In Today's New York Times, Linda Greenhouse's article called "Case Touches a 2nd Amendment Nerve" says "Both sides in a closely watched legal battle over the District of Columbia's strict gun-control law are urging the Supreme Court to hear the case. If the justices agree -- a step they may announce as early as Tuesday -- the Roberts court is likely to find itself back on the front lines of the culture wars with an intensity unmatched even by the cases on abortion and race that defined the court's last term."

According to a post entitled "Court Takes No Action on Gun Case" in the SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston reports that "The next date for possible action on these cases is likely to come after the Court’s pre-Thanksgiving Conference — either on the day of the Conference, Nov. 20, or the following Monday, Nov. 26.”