The Giffords Law Center and March for Our Lives say law students are uniquely positioned “to fight gun violence” and offer an online pledge on Gifford’s website for students to sign.
The pledge encourages students to help law firms realize that acting on behalf of the gun industry could damage future recruiting of attorneys, according to Giffords’ website. “I will not work for any firm that requires me to advocate on behalf of the gun industry or gun lobby. I will instead prioritize firms that actively fight gun violence and the industry that propagates it,” the pledge reads.
“There’s certainly the case that the legal system allows for and encourages for everyone to have representation, of course,” Mr. Pucino said. “But that fact doesn’t mean that anyone is entitled to your representation. And if your view is that you don’t want to support and aid and abet the gun violence epidemic, there needs to be an avenue for you to be able to express that and say that.”
Steven D. Schwinn, a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, said he hasn’t seen this type of advocacy targeting law students. Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law, said there’s been similar efforts by a climate group, Law Students for Climate Accountability, urging law students not to represent the fossil fuels industry.