COURSE PLANNER
Stephen P. Halbrook, Ph.D., Attorney at Law / Fairfax
“Stephen Halbrook is an attorney with extensive knowledge of the historical underpinnings of the Second Amendment and practical knowledge of litigating in this rapidly evolving area of law. His writings include topics as diverse as Gun Control in the Third Reich and The Founders’ Second Amendment, and he was heavily involved in Heller and McDonald.” — U.S. District Judge Michael J. Reagan, in Shepard v. Madigan, 2014 WL 4825592, *7 (S.D. Ill. 2014) (awarding attorney’s fees). See further http://stephenhalbrook.com/.
Mr. Halbrook has been engaged in civil litigation and criminal defense since 1978. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar, District of Columbia Bar, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals—all circuits, other federal courts. He has testified in U.S. Senate and House Committees on numerous firearm bills and on the nominations of executive branch and Supreme Court nominees. Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. (1978); Florida State University, Ph.D. Philosophy (1972). Assistant Professor of Philosophy 1972-81, George Mason University, Howard University, Tuskegee University. Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute.
Mr. Halbrook argued and won Castillo v. U.S., 530 U.S. 120 (2000); Printz v. U.S., 521 U.S. 898 (1997); U.S. v. Thompson/Center Arms Co., 504 U.S. 505 (1992). Co-counsel in Small v. U.S., 544 U.S. 385 (2005), and for NRA in McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010). Counsel for amici curiae 55 Senators, the Senate President, and 250 Representatives in D.C. v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008).
Books authored:
• The Right to Bear Arms: A Constitutional Right of the People or Privilege of the Ruling Class? (Post Hill Press 2021).
• Firearms Law Deskbook: Federal and State Criminal Practice (Thomson/West 2020).
• Gun Control in Nazi-Occupied France: Tyranny and Resistance (2018).
• Gun Control in the Third Reich: Disarming the Jews and “Enemies of the State” (2013).
• The Founders’ Second Amendment (2008, new ed. 2019). Cited in McDonald v. Chicago.
• Freedmen, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Right to Bear Arms (1998). New edition: Securing Civil Rights (2010). Cited in McDonald v. Chicago and DC v. Heller.
• That Every Man Be Armed: The Evolution of a Constitutional Right (1984, new edition 2013). Cited in Printz v. U.S.
FACULTY
Matthew Bergstrom, Arsenal Attorneys / Fairfax
Matthew Bergstrom serves as Managing Attorney of Arsenal Attorneys™, a law firm he started in 2010. He possesses over 20 years of combined legal and business experience helping clients pursue opportunities and reduce risks. He personally leads the firm's Arsenal Gun Trust™ practice, which has served thousands of clients in more than 30 states. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, and various TV and radio programs.
Mr. Bergstrom currently concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and firearms regulations. He was previously active in international business and consulting. Mr. Bergstrom began his career in Russia and Europe. He also served as a consultant in global affairs, security, technology, and finance for an investment banking firm and for Fortune 100 senior executives in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC. He has taught various topics in the law for the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Financial Planners Association, and other organizations.
In addition to his practice of law, Mr. Bergstrom is an entrepreneur and academic. He founded and leads a successful e-commerce venture. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of History at William Jessup University, where he also serves on the Board of Advisors for the school's Institute for Public Policy.
Mr. Bergstrom earned his law degree from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University in 1997. During law school he served as Executive Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal. The University awarded him the Elliot R. Lewis Scholarship and an International Fellowship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. He received an MBA in international business and marketing from the Helsinki School of Economics, and he graduated from Michigan State University's James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and Russian. He is a member of the bar in California, Virginia, Michigan, and the District of Columbia.
Mr. Bergstrom divides his time between Arsenal Attorneys' offices in California and metropolitan Washington, DC. Whenever possible, he enjoys his time with his wife, three children, and three dogs on the family's farm.