Overview
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery, along with lawyers at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy & Protection at Georgetown University Law Center, filed an amicus brief on behalf of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) in National Association for Gun Rights and Susan Goldman v. City of Highland Park, Illinois, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The brief supports the city of Highland Park as it works to maintain the legal flexibility necessary to regulate access to assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines that lead to mass shootings and political violence.
USCM argues in its brief that addressing the increase in mass shootings and political violence requires regulatory flexibility, specifically for local governments, which are impacted uniquely by these events. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court of the United States recognized the need for local governments to be able to innovate to protect their constituents, and the Court preserved flexibility for cities and states to regulate new and dangerous weapons. The brief explains that without this regulatory flexibility, local governments will be paralyzed in the face of a growing epidemic of gun violence.
“The legal issues in this case underscore societal safety issues at play for local governments across the United States—something that directly impacted the city of Highland Park on July 4, 2022,” said Jeffrey Stone, litigation partner and chairman emeritus at McDermott. “We are proud of the significant work put forward on this important issue on behalf of USCM.”
The full amicus brief can be found here, and USCM’s press release can be found here.
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