Articles & Publications

What Every Gun Club and Range Operator Should Know About Insurance Coverage Gaps By W. Lee Smith Most gun clubs and commercial shooting ranges carry liability insurance. Far fewer can answer the most important question: What does that insurance actually cover when something goes wrong? A certificate of insurance showing $1 million per occurrence, $2 million in aggregate coverage, or even $5 million in umbrella liability limits may look reassuring. But those numbers tell only part of the story. Policy exclusions, limitations, conditions, and endorsements may eliminate coverage for some of the very risks shooting facilities face every day—including accidental ...

The Supreme Court’s AR-15 cases go beyond the legality of one firearm—they raise fundamental questions about the Second Amendment, constitutional rights, and the future of firearm ownership in America. The cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving AR-15-style rifles are about much more than a particular firearm. They reveal the deeper constitutional and cultural divide over the meaning of the Second Amendment and the rights Americans are fighting to preserve. Read the article here: The Supreme Court’s AR-15 Cases Reveal What America Is Really Fighting About ...

Michel & Associates, P.C. is pleased to announce that C.D. “Chuck” Michel has once again been recognized by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top 100 Lawyers for 2026. Michel also received the Top 100 recognition in 2024 and 2025, making this his third consecutive selection. Michel is President of Michel & Associates, P.C., the California Rifle & Pistol Association, and the Second Amendment Law Center. He has litigated firearms-regulation and Second Amendment cases for more than three decades during a period of profound change in constitutional law. In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), Michel served as counsel ...

October 2026 San Francisco is amending the firearm and ammunition procurement rules it adopted in 2024. The reason is not a change of heart on policy. The City wrote vendor rules that too few dealers could meet, and its own police department had trouble buying the equipment it needs. The amendment (Board File No. 260838) is scheduled for first reading before the full Board of Supervisors on October 27, 2026. Any dealer that sells, or wants to sell, to the San Francisco Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, or any other City agency should read on. That includes dealers outside San Francisco ...

Michel & Associates, P.C. | October 13, 2026 The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched its new Federal Firearm Rights Restoration (FFRR) program under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c). For the first time in decades, people who are federally prohibited from possessing firearms have a working federal process to ask for their rights back. The key dates: • November 4, 2026: The application opens to the public. Only the first 5,000 applicants can apply, on a first come, first served basis. • January 4, 2027: The application reopens for 500 more applicants. The $30 application fee starts at this stage ...

The Limits of Crime-Gun Trace Data A new article published by the University of Wyoming’s Firearms Research Center examines how ATF and California crime-gun trace data can be misinterpreted to imply wrongdoing by lawful firearm retailers. The Limits of Crime-Gun Trace Data, authored by Jason A. Davis, C.D. “Chuck” Michel, and Anna M. Barvir, responds to recent reporting concerning Turner’s Outdoorsman and explains the important distinction between identifying a firearm’s prior retail source and establishing wrongdoing by the retailer. The article discusses the limitations of crime-gun trace data and the importance of considering sales volume and other relevant context before ...

The United States Supreme Court concluded its current term by granting certiorari in the consolidated cases of Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, marking another significant development in Second Amendment jurisprudence. The cases present several important constitutional questions that have remained unresolved. Among them: What qualifies as an "arm" protected by the Second Amendment? How is the “common use” test applied? The Court's answer will likely establish a nationwide framework for evaluating the constitutionality of firearm and magazine bans and other restrictions under the Second Amendment Constitution. The announcement follows the Supreme Court's recent rulings in United States ...

In a major victory for Second Amendment advocates nationwide, the United States Supreme Court today issued its decision in Wolford v. Lopez, holding that Hawaii's expansive "sensitive places" carry restrictions violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court reversed the Ninth Circuit's prior ruling and reaffirmed that states may not broadly prohibit the carrying of firearms in ordinary public places absent a well-established historical tradition supporting such restrictions. The decision is particularly significant for California because Hawaii's law closely mirrored California's Senate Bill 2, which dramatically expanded the number of locations where licensed concealed carry permit holders are prohibited from ...

The U.S. Supreme Court issued an important Second Amendment decision in United States v. Hemani, striking down the federal government's attempt to prosecute a firearm owner under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) based solely on his status as an unlawful user of marijuana. The case involved a man who used marijuana several times per week and possessed a firearm in his home. The government did not allege that he was addicted, intoxicated while armed, dangerous, or that he had ever misused a firearm. Instead, it relied on historical laws restricting so-called "habitual drunkards" to justify the modern prohibition. The Supreme Court ...

The Supreme Court's continued consideration of Duncan v. Bonta has become one of the most closely watched developments in Second Amendment litigation. After being relisted more than 20 times, the case is approaching historic territory and has left gun owners, legal scholars, and constitutional advocates wondering when the Court will finally act. At the heart of Duncan is a fundamental question that could shape the future of Second Amendment jurisprudence: What qualifies as an "arm" protected by the Constitution? According to Michel & Associates, P.C. Senior Counsel and Managing Partner C.D. "Chuck" Michel, the answer carries consequences far beyond California's ...