Responsible Gun Ownership: A Roundtable on Safe Storage
Recorded January 31, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, in conjunction with the 2025 ABA Midyear Meeting
Read more about this program here.
What does it mean to be a responsible gun owner? What kind of behavior do we expect out of someone who practices “safe storage”, and what are the most effective ways to empower gun owners to understand the importance of safe storage and practice it themselves? This roundtable discussion with a panel of gun owners and safe storage advocates discusses the legal regime around safe storage laws and the panelists' work advocating for responsible gun ownership both legislatively and in their communities. The program was moderated by Angela Adkins Downes, the immediate past chair of the Standing Committee on Gun Violence and a Professor of Law and Assistant Director of Experiential Education at the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law.
Panelists
Margaret Finerty is a Partner in the law firm of Getnick Law located in New York City, representing whistleblowers in False Claims Act and other anti-fraud cases. She has worked on gun violence issues as a member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Gun Violence, where she Chairs its Policy subcommittee, and at the New York State Bar Association, where she Co-Chaired its Task Force on Mass Shootings and Assault Weapons. She is a former Assistant District Attorney and Criminal Court Judge in Manhattan.
Shani Henry is from Helena, MT, where she lives in a family of bird hunters. She is a retired veterinarian turned full time advocate. She joined the gun violence prevention realm as a volunteer and joined the staff of GIFFORDS just over a year ago. She serves as a Regional Organizer for the Gun Owners for Safety program under the umbrella of GIFFORDS. Her job is to support gun owning advocates who want to utilize their very powerful and influential voice in the gun violence prevention movement.
Mary Reed is a mom, an engineer, and a storyteller. She was shot three times protecting her then 17-year-old daughter during the attempted assignation of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She is now an advocate of safe storage of guns and common sense gun laws.
Brian Zuckerberg is a behavioral health professional trained in trauma therapy, and has worked with people to help through traumatic events on multiple occasions. Brian became involved in gun violence prevention advocacy largely due to seeing how the threat of gun violence affected his teenage daughter. Brian has lobbied his state legislature and is Director of Social Media on behalf of Arizonans for Gun Safety. He is an ambassador with GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety and has spoken on their behalf in multiple forums.
This program was sponsored by the Standing Committee on Gun Violence. Thank you to the Giffords Law Center for their assistance in assembling the panel.