Atty. Ralph D. Sherman

Do you have an attorney? Do you know where he or she stands on gun issues?

At least once a month I get phone call that goes like this: Joe Client says he was accosted by a bad guy. To defend himself, Joe drew a handgun. The bad guy saw the gun and took off, so Joe didn’t shoot. But the bad guy called the police.

Based on the bad guy’s version of the story, the police arrested Joe and charged him with threatening and assault. The police also confiscated Joe’s guns and revoked his pistol permit.

That was all three months ago. Shortly after the arrest, Joe hired Attorney X. They’ve had several court appearances, and the case is going to be wrapped up tomorrow. So why is Joe calling me now?

It’s not just that Joe is unhappy with the outcome of his case (probation, destruction of his gun collection, and a very large fee to Attorney X). It’s also that Joe has figured out that Attorney X thinks that gun owners are nuts, that Attorney X wants to repeal the Second Amendment, and that Attorney X has donated part of Joe’s fee to Handgun Control, Inc.

This story is not an exaggeration. The fact is, most attorneys are anti-gun. The American Bar Association has an official position that is anti-gun. And many clients don’t think about this factor until it’s too late.

You may have hired an attorney for a closing, a will, or a divorce. You may be satisfied with that attorney’s work in those matters. But does he or she know anything about firearms law? About guns? About the law of self-defense? And what does he or she think about the right of private citizens to own firearms?

You might want to find out before you really need to.