The Gun Violence Prevention Law Clinic is training students on how to also use litigation, instead of legislation alone.
MINNEAPOLIS — At a time when gun control legislation remains more politically polarized than ever, and mass shootings continue to unfold across the country, a new University of Minnesota Law School program is helping students work toward gun violence prevention, while also working within current laws.
"This is my dream," said Megan Walsh, the visiting clinical professor of law who launched the Gun Violence Prevention Law Clinic. "Law schools across the country weren't doing this. We are the first ones in the country to use law school experiential education to address gun violence."
Walsh says the students enrolled in the law clinic are learning and working beyond the walls of a classroom.
"They're actively going out and litigating cases, working directly with clients, developing cases themselves and getting that real-life experience," Walsh said.
That includes a partnership with Minnesota Attorney General's Office on several firearms cases, including an ongoing lawsuit against Fleet Farm, which alleges negligence in selling firearms to "straw purchasers," a phrase that refers to situations where someone illegally purchases a gun from someone else.
Others are helping defend against challenges to state gun regulations.
"Cases are coming out every day that are drastically changing the way that gun regulation is considered by courts," Walsh said. "And so...
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