Services

Who We Serve

Legal Community Against Violence provides legal assistance to advocates and community leaders seeking local and statewide regulatory solutions to prevent gun violence.

• We provide gun violence prevention activists with the legal expertise and support they need to spearhead initiatives for stronger gun policies.
  
  
• We advise state legislators and agency officials requesting legal analysis of legislative and regulatory options to prevent gun violence.
  
  
• We assist mayors, city council members, county supervisors and other local officials in developing policies to enhance the safety of their communities and stimulate positive changes at the state and federal levels.
  
  
• We help government attorneys to assess the adequacy of existing laws and develop recommendations for new laws and regulations to prevent gun violence.
  
  
• Law enforcement officials consult us for legal information to strengthen the enforcement of laws already in effect and to evaluate the viability of potential new violence prevention strategies.

LCAV works to educate activists, policymakers, government officials, lawyers, journalists, public health professionals and other opinion leaders about gun laws and policies and the possibilities for innovative state and local policy reform.

What We Do

Expertise

Legal research and analysis – Our staff attorneys provide data and analysis to support the adoption, enforcement and defense of violence prevention measures. We clarify the legal and technical jargon associated with gun laws. We educate communities about the underlying legal framework for firearms regulation. Our lawyers help ensure that all viable options are considered – and that the measures taken will withstand scrutiny if they are challenged in court.

Development of regulatory strategies – LCAV creates, adapts and disseminates gun regulations that serve as model laws across the country. We know from experience that local legislation has the power to inspire statewide momentum for gun violence prevention laws. In states where local regulation is preempted, our model laws are a starting point from which state legislation can be drafted, reviewed, debated and ultimately adopted. Our lawyers can help state and local governments to review their gun laws and to draft new regulations.

Pro bono representation – We help find attorneys willing to provide free legal representation for local governments facing challenges to gun regulations and for gun violence prevention organizations pursuing state or local policy change through litigation.

Information

Accessible, searchable, online clearinghouse – Our website, www.lcav.org, provides in-depth summaries of federal, state and local firearms laws and policies. The most comprehensive resource for information on U.S. firearms regulation in either print or electronic form, our site includes summaries of over 200 federal and state appellate cases that have rejected Second Amendment challenges to firearms laws.

Outreach and education – We produce and distribute reports and analyses of legal issues, model laws and training materials, publish a newsletter to share strategies across communities and states, and provide legal experts to speak at meetings and conferences of public officials and allied organizations in the gun violence prevention movement.

Workshops and training – LCAV staff and volunteer attorneys present workshops for public officials, public health professionals, violence prevention activists, attorneys, law enforcement personnel and other community leaders. We use our workshops to advance understanding of the constitutionality of effective firearms laws, share information about promising approaches to gun regulation, and provide training on how to use the information on our website.

Media resource – LCAV provides journalists with the legal background on gun policy issues. In addition to our reports and analyses, we are available to brief journalists and editorial boards on the legal aspects of the gun policy debate. The media plays a crucial role in educating the public about gun violence. We use our knowledge of laws, regulations and judicial opinions to emphasize that the Second Amendment is not a barrier to effective regulation of firearms.

Advocacy

Through coalition building and collaboration – As the lawyers’ organization in the gun violence prevention movement, LCAV works with allied organizations and the organized bar to secure sound gun policies. We enlist the support and participation of the legal community to help make our communities safe from gun violence.

In the legislative process – As a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, LCAV is invited by legislators to testify in state and local legislative hearings examining proposed violence prevention measures. LCAV also provides advice and comment to help legislators and their staff formulate and implement new laws.

In the regulatory process – LCAV looks for opportunities for policy reform that do not require new legislation. Existing laws may permit government officials, such as a state attorney general, to promulgate regulations that will reduce gun-related deaths and injuries.

In the courts – Through our staff and volunteer attorneys, we coordinate the filing of amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs in which interested parties, such as municipalities, law enforcement and community organizations, take a position on important legal issues affecting state and local regulation of firearms.

Through the media – LCAV injects legal expertise into the media’s coverage of public policy debates concerning gun violence. In interviews and op eds, we add the legal perspective, emphasizing that effective gun laws enhance community safety.

Learn More

Request Assistance

If you are an activist or public official working for state and local solutions to prevent gun violence, LCAV may be able to provide legal assistance. Learn more about our process and criteria.