By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
A Saturday afternoon keynote address by retired federal district Judge Roger T, Benitez will be one of the main highlights of this year’s 41st annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) when it unfolds on the weekend of Sept. 25-27 at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport hotel.
Judge Benitez has become a legend within the Second Amendment community for his various rulings while serving on the bench in San Diego, California.
Co-hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), which recently observed its 52nd anniversary, and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), the conference is the brainchild of Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, and CCRKBA chairman. It has grown to become one of the “must attend” events for Second Amendment activists and gun rights scholars. The conference has also drawn considerable industry support, and SAF is now recognized as a legal powerhouse in gun rights litigation, with two consolidated cases up for review and argument before the U.S. Supreme Court after it convenes for the 2026-2027 session next month.
Gottlieb will deliver opening remarks on Saturday, Sept. 26, according to the published agenda.
This year’s program is loaded with what amounts to a “Who’s Who” in the firearms fraternity. In addition to Gottlieb, scheduled to appear are, according to the roster:
· Robert Cekada, Director, ATF
· Robert Leider, ATF Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel
· Brandon Herrera, Second Amendment advocate and Congressional candidate
· Barry Arrington, acting Chief of the Second Amendment Section of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice
· Dana Loesch, Second Amendment advocate, best-selling author, TV analyst and host of the award-winning radio program, The Dana Show
· Jared Yanis, host of Guns & Gadgets YouTube channel
· Amy Swearer, Senior Legal Fellow, Advancing American Freedom
· Joseph Greenlee, Director of the Office of Litigation Counsel at the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
· Kenyon Gleason, president of National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers
· Shermichael Singleton, political consultant, television anchor, CNN analyst
· Jeff Gonzales, Founder and CEO, Trident Concepts
· Jeff Folloder, Executive Director, NFA Trade and Collectors Association
· Holly Sullivan, President, Connecticut Citizens Defense League
· Chris Boeck, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer at Silencer Shop
· Cam Edwards, editor of BearingArms.com and the host of the Cam & Company podcast
· John Petrolino, writer, firearms instructor, and author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on Basic Gun Safety & Use
· Alan Beck, Second Amendment attorney
· William Kirk, Second Amendment attorney, influencer and host of the Washington Gun Law YouTube channel
· Gabriella Hoffman, policy analyst, award-winning outdoor writer and director of Independent Women’s Center for Energy and Conservation
· Mark Smith, constitutional lawyer and host of The Four Boxes Diner YouTube Channel
· Isaac Botkin, designer, entrepreneur, advocate for liberty and co-owner of T.REX ARMS
· Adam Kraut, Executive Director, Second Amendment Foundation
· Bill Sack, Senior Director of Legal Operations at Second Amendment Foundation
· Kostas Moros, Director of Legal Research and Education, Second Amendment Foundation
The conference will be preceded on Friday by the annual AMM-Con, a day-long event which features many in the Second Amendment media, both writers and podcasters.
