How University of Minnesota law students are tackling gun violence through litigation
A first-of-its-kind law clinic is addressing gun violence head-on.
Students at the University of Minnesota Law School focus on gun violence prevention through litigation. They're working pro bono on real Second Amendment cases through the attorney general's office, serving as special assistants. For many, the work is personal.
"Growing up in Minneapolis in the early 2000s I was never not aware of the issue of gun violence in my community," law student Emily Byers Olson said.
"My grandfather, my dad's father, he died from gun violence. And my great grandfather, my dad's grandfather, also died from gun violence," law student Jaxon Alston said.
"Like a lot of people my age, just growing up in schools when mass shootings and school shootings were very prevalent," law student Will Roberts said.
Byers Olson, Alston and Roberts are just a few of the University of Minnesota law school students who are part of the Gun Violence Prevention Law Clinic.
"I think too, for me, it's been very personal. I had a friend whose dad was a victim of gun violence, and that was a real turning point for me," Roberts said.
"I wanted to know how the massive problem of gun violence could potentially be addressed through litigation," Byers Olson said.
The idea came from attorney Megan Walsh. The professor and clinic director had been practicing law working on gun violence prevention cases.
"It became very clear that there were not enough lawyers who knew enough about this subject to really be effective. And there's a pretty strong counterweight of really well-trained and engaged lawyers who are very actively bringing lawsuits to expand the Second Amendment and to push back against gun regulations," Walsh said.
Her focus on prevention grew out of tragedy at a young age.
"My best friend's dad was killed in a very prominent Chicago shooting. And so I lived my whole life knowing how it felt to see my best friend go through life without her dad. It's not numbers, you know, it's families who are affected," Walsh said.
The students are the attorneys of record for the state defending gun laws against constitutional challenges with a goal of creating a safer community.
"We're not trying to take away your guns completely, but we're just trying to make sure that the streets are safe for trying to make sure that you don't pose a danger to yourself or to society," Alston said.
Cases range from felon in possession to permit to carry. And they are working on the attorney general's suit against Glock, saying the manufacturer designs weapons that can easily be converted into machine guns.
"It's real cases, real clients, and I know we're making a real impact. It sounds dramatic, but Megan always says, our professor says that we're saving lives," Byers Olson said.
"I think it's a big focus of the clinic is to put survivors, victims and people who are affected by gun violence at the center of the work we do. And I think that is just like a good guiding light for us," Roberts said.
The original funding for the Gun Violence Prevention Law Clinic expires at the end of the year. They are fundraising for future years.
