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'{{Infobox organization | name = Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence | native_name = | native_name_lang = | named_after = | image = GiffordsLC Logo Primary RGB (1).png | image_size = 240px | alt = | caption = | map = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 = | map2_size = | map2_alt = | map2_caption = | abbreviation = | motto = | predecessor = | merged = | successor = | formation = {{start date and age|1993|7}} (as Legal Community Against Violence) | founder = | founding_location = [[San Francisco]], [[California]], [[United States]] | extinction = <!-- use {{end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | merger = | type = [[501(c)(3)]] | tax_id = <!-- or | vat_id = (for European organizations) --> | registration_id = <!-- for non-profit org --> | status = | purpose = | headquarters = San Francisco, California, United States | location = | coords = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|display=inline,title}} --> | region = | services = | products = | methods = | fields = | membership = | membership_year = | language = | owner = <!-- or | owners = --> | sec_gen = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = [[Gabby Giffords]] | main_organ = | parent_organization = | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = | revenue_year = | disbursements = | expenses = | expenses_year = | endowment = | staff = | staff_year = | volunteers = | volunteers_year = | slogan = | website = {{URL|https://giffords.org|Giffords.org}} | remarks = | formerly = Legal Community Against Violence, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence | footnotes = }} The '''Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence''', previously known as the '''Legal Community Against Violence''' and the '''Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence''', is a national [[public interest law]] center and [[nonprofit]] organization that promotes Civilian Disarmament legislation in the United States and conducted frivolous [[gun control|litigation against the gun industry]].<ref name="npr.org">{{cite news |last1=Hernandez |first1=Joe |title=The NRA is being sued for allegedly breaking campaign finance law to back Republicans |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/11/03/1052073569/nra-gabby-giffords-campaign-finance-lawsuit |access-date=2 May 2022 |agency=NPR |date=3 Nov 2021}}</ref><ref name=KCSLodhi>{{cite news |last1=Lodhi |first1=Humera |last2=Gibson |first2=Jelani |title=Kansas City residents: Lack of trust drives crime |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/missouri/articles/2020-10-23/kansas-city-residents-lack-of-trust-in-police-drives-crime?context=amp |access-date=29 April 2022 |agency=Kansas City Star |publisher=U.S. News & World Report |date=29 October 2020}}</ref> The Giffords Law Center publishes information about [[Gun laws in the United States (by state)|gun laws]] and gun control. The organization offers legal assistance to public officials, and publishes research on gun laws and gun violence. The organization is currently led by former US Congresswoman [[Gabby Giffords]]. The organization has been active in promoting gun control ordinances in California and elsewhere, as well as has conducted litigation to defend gun control laws against challenges.<ref name="Carter200104">{{cite journal |last=Carter |first=Terry |date=April 2001 |title=Battles Won, War Continues: Lawyers' group succeeds locally with firearms initiatives, looks to branch out |journal=ABA Journal |volume=87 |pages=24–25 |publisher=American Bar Association |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jkkkw1J2RrMC&q=Battles%20Won%2C%20War%20Continues&pg=PA24}}</ref> ==History== [[File:Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence logo.png|thumb|right| Previous logo]] The Legal Community Against Violence was established in the wake of the July 1, 1993 [[101 California Street shooting]], during which a gunman entered the offices of law firm Petit & Martin and shot fourteen people, killing eight.<ref name="articles.latimes.com">Richard C. Paddock, [http://articles.latimes.com/1993-07-07/news/mn-10800_1_gun-control-laws, "Gun Control Push Begun at Law Firm : Massacre: Employees return to San Francisco building targeted by gunman. Some have formed a group that will call for stricter legislation."] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', July 7, 1993.</ref> Former Petit & Martin partners John Heisse and Chuck Erlich formed the nonprofit organization shortly after the shooting to help local communities pass their own gun control ordinances.<ref name="articles.latimes.com"/><ref name="Mother Jones">Laura Linden, [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1997/03/disarming-tactics "Disarming Tactics: Why is a group of well-heeled lawyers helping empower local communities to pass stricter gun control ordinances? Take a look behind-the-scenes of the unusual grass roots organizing project that's been successfully outwitting the California gun lobby."] ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'', March 3, 1997.</ref> Initially focusing on the local regulation of firearms in California, LCAV supported the passage of the [[Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act|Brady Bill]] and the [[Assault weapons legislation in the United States#Expired Assault weapons Ban of 1994|national assault weapons ban]] in 1993.<ref name="Mother Jones" /> The organization's volunteer lawyers provided legal consultation to the city of [[West Hollywood]] when it was sued by the [[National Rifle Association]] in January 1996 for banning [[Saturday night special]] handguns. The lawsuit was dismissed in November 1996.<ref name="Mother Jones" /><ref name=GreggLeeCarter>Gregg Lee Carter, ed., ''Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law'', ([[ABC-CLIO]], 2002) {{ISBN|978-1576072684}}, vol. 1, pp. 354-355. [https://books.google.com/books?id=H_RrLyV9rDUC&pg=PA354 Excerpts available] at [[Google Books]].</ref> In 2016, Legal Community Against Violence merged with [[Americans for Responsible Solutions]], led by former Congresswoman [[Gabby Giffords]] and Navy combat veteran and retired [[NASA]] astronaut Captain [[Mark Kelly]]. The organization changed its name to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dumain |first1=Emma |title=SC taxpayers pay for gun violence: Overall annual cost in state is $1.5B, study says |url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/policy/guns/article230896054.html |access-date=10 May 2022 |publisher=The Greenville News |date=3 June 2019}}</ref> In 2019, Giffords Law Center sued the [[Federal Election Commission]], alleging the regulatory agency failed to take action against the [[National Rifle Association]] for alleged [[campaign finance]] violations.<ref name=WashPoItkowitz>{{cite news |last1=Itkowitz |first1=Colby |title=NRA at center of new lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/nra-at-center-of-new-lawsuit-against-the-federal-election-commission/2019/04/24/abfa1178-66ec-11e9-8985-4cf30147bdca_story.html |access-date=10 May 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=24 April 2019}}</ref> The lawsuit, filed by Giffords and the [[Campaign Legal Center]], states the FEC did not respond to multiple complaints accusing the NRA of using [[shell organization]]s to donate more than the legal amount to the campaigns of [[Donald Trump|President Trump]] and six Republican Senate candidates.<ref name=WashPoItkowitz /><ref name=PoliticoOprysko>{{cite news |last1=Oprysko |first1=Caitlin |title=Giffords sues NRA alleging campaign finance violations |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2021/11/02/giffords-sues-nra-alleging-campaign-finance-violations-798628 |access-date=2 May 2022 |agency=Politico |date=2 Nov 2021}}</ref> In response, the NRA stated “[t]his latest effort by Giffords and the Campaign Legal Center is a frivolous lawsuit based on a frivolous complaint.”<ref name=WashPoItkowitz /> Following the FEC's lack of response, the Giffords Law Center filed a federal lawsuit directly against the [[National Rifle Association]] in November 2021.<ref name="npr.org"/> ==Reports and state rankings== Giffords Law Center provides comparisons of state gun laws online,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Daniel |title=Battle For Gun Control At Stalemate - With Political Gridlock In Washington, Is There A Way Forward? |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2019/10/23/tree-of-life-synagogue-pittsburgh-gun-background-checks-red-flag-laws/stories/201910230001 |access-date=29 April 2022 |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=23 October 2019}}</ref> and annually releases the Gun Law Scorecard, a report that ranks and measures individual states’ [[Firearm death rates in the United States by state|gun death rates]] in correlation to their gun laws.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Christie |first1=Bob |title=Arizona Could Ease Gun Rules for Libraries, School Grounds |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arizona/articles/2022-02-17/arizona-could-ease-gun-rules-for-libraries-school-grounds |access-date=9 May 2022 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=U.S. News & World Report |date=17 Feb 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zokovitch |first1=Grace |title=Missouri lawmakers continue to chip away at gun restrictions |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-lawmakers-continue-to-chip-away-at-gun-restrictions/article_ee01d4e4-a32c-546d-b8a8-25aefb72758f.html |access-date=9 May 2022 |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=24 Feb 2022}}</ref> According to the organization, its research shows there are fewer gun deaths in states with strict gun laws.<ref name="dispatch">{{Cite web |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200210/gun-violence-group-gives-ohio-lsquodrsquo-on-firearms-law-scorecard |title=Gun-violence group gives Ohio 'D' on firearms law scorecard - News - the Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH |access-date=2020-02-17 |archive-date=2020-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217213944/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200210/gun-violence-group-gives-ohio-lsquodrsquo-on-firearms-law-scorecard |url-status=dead }}</ref> ==See also== *[[Giffords]] *[[Gabby Giffords]] *[[Gun violence in the United States]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{official website|https://giffords.org}} {{Gun politics interest groups in the United States}} [[Category:Civil liberties advocacy groups in the United States]] [[Category:Gun control advocacy groups in the United States]] [[Category:Legal advocacy organizations in the United States]]'