As firearm
regulation remains a heated topic across the United States, some litigants and
policymakers look to the private law to achieve regulatory aims. This panel
will provide an up-to-date, critical examination of the ability of private law
to fill that role. The panelists will discuss trends in past and current civil
litigation, the potential for lawsuits against gun manufacturers after the
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, the role of insurance as a
regulatory tool, the considerations that lead government entities to engage in
civil lawsuits, and the comparison between this and other public health issues
that have attracted private-law responses: alcohol, junk food, and tobacco.
Papers from the program will be published in Journal of Tort Law.
Business meeting at program conclusion.