Supported Litigation: How NRA-ILA Accepts Cases

NRA-ILA cannot generally insert itself into litigation in which we are not a party.  In order to get involved, we must be invited by a party or the court.  Feel free to let us know about cases that may be of interest at (703) 267-1161 or [email protected]; however, please do not contact us to become involved in cases to which you are not a party.

NRA-ILA generally assists in cases that affect the Second Amendment civil liberties or civil rights of large numbers of our members and gun owners in general, rather than those involving a dispute between individual parties. The basic questions we ask when reviewing a potential case are:

1. Is this a significant Second Amendment civil liberties or civil rights issue or a vital but derivative civil liberties or civil rights issue?
2. What effect will this case have on people other than the applicant?
3. Do we have the necessary resources to take this case?

Unfortunately, despite the thousands of requests for assistance we receive each year, there are many legitimate and compelling cases in which NRA-ILA is simply unable to assist with, as we do not have unlimited resources.  We regret that we cannot provide assistance in many cases even if they fall within the guidelines discussed above.  To that end, we encourage attorneys looking for support to contact the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, which provides legal and financial assistance to selected individuals and organizations defending their right to keep and bear arms.

Important Note Regarding Deadlines

All legal claims have time deadlines. These deadlines may be different depending on the nature of the issue and the parties involved. For some kinds of civil cases, you may need to file a claim with a government agency before you can sue, and agencies have their own time deadlines.

If you do not comply with the applicable deadlines, you may be legally barred from pursuing your claim in court. Contacting us to describe your problem does not mean that we represent you, nor does it stop the statute of limitations from running. NRA-ILA cannot give you advice about the specific deadlines that apply to your case. To protect your rights, please consult an attorney promptly to find out what deadlines may apply to your particular situation.