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. Former Petit & Martin partners John Heisse and Chuck Erlich formed the nonprofit organization along with other San Francisco Bay Area legal professionals shortly after the shooting to help local communities pass their own gun violence prevention ordinances. Initially focusing on the local regulation of firearms in California, LCAV supported the passage of the
Brady Bill and the
federal assault weapons ban in 1993. Over time, LCAV expanded its activity to assist legislators and advocates in states across the country in drafting and passing gun safety laws. It also provided pro bono support to a range of local communities defending their gun laws from lawsuits by the NRA and other gun lobby organizations. The organization expanded its Second Amendment program, providing amicus curiae briefs in key gun rights cases, including the Supreme Court cases
District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008 and
McDonald v. City of Chicago in 2010. GIFFORDS Law Center attorneys provided testimony in Congressional hearings about gun violence and gun laws and regularly appeared in the media as experts on American gun laws. In 2013, the organization changed its name to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Following the
Sandy Hook School shooting in December 2012, the Law Center expanded its activity in state legislation, contributing to the passage of over 600 new gun safety laws in 49 states and the District of Columbia. In 2016, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence merged with
Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), a nonprofit gun control organization 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. ARS was formed in the weeks following the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of December 14, 2012. The organization had revenues of $21.3 million in 2014. Giffords and Kelly said they sought to reduce gun violence by matching the
gun lobby in its reach and resources. In a network news interview, Kelly said he went through a
background check to buy a gun at a store and that
private firearms sales should also require checks. Three days later, the
Wall Street Journal said that Americans for Responsible Solutions and
Mayors Against Illegal Guns were "emerging as key voices in the gun control effort." 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. 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 organizations to donate more than the legal amount to the campaigns of
President Trump and six Republican Senate candidates. 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.” GIFFORDS Law Center and its affiliated organization, GIFFORDS, was a key player in the Biden administration’s efforts against gun violence, providing research and policy suggestions that contributed to 2022’s
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the administration’s numerous executive actions on guns, and the formation of the
White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention in 2023. In 2024, GIFFORDS Law Center settled a major lawsuit against ghost gun company
Polymer80 on behalf of Philadelphia, and undertook similar litigation in other parts of the country. In 2024, GIFFORDS Law Center was also active in the Supreme Court case
United States vs. Rahimi, which was decided in favor of GIFFORDS Law Center’s position. ==Reports and state rankings==