The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund gets numerous requests for assistance. Therefore, the Fund has a procedure for determining whether to fund a court case. The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund has guidelines for submission of cases for the trustees' discretionary review. Cases presenting compelling unsettled or new issues of law are of special interest to the Fund. The Trustees normally meet three times a year: in the late spring, fall, and winter. A request for litigation funding should be submitted to the secretary not later than 30 days prior to the meeting in which the request is to be considered. Late submissions will be considered only upon emergency.

Applications for financial support must be submitted by an attorney.  Requests should include, at a minimum, the following information:

1. Legal or constitutional issue to be resolved and how it would have a widespread favorable impact;
   
   
2. Summary of the facts;
   
   
3. Background of the litigants or other parties;
   
   
4. Summary of past and projected administrative and legal proceedings;
   
   
5. Projected costs of litigation for the different stages of the case and an explanation of the basis for such projected costs, including hourly attorney fees and projected number of hours;
   
   
6. Other sources of funding and amounts received and requested;
   
   
7. Probability of obtaining a favorable result and basis for conclusion; and
   
   
8. Probability of obtaining an award of attorney's fees and costs should this applicant prevail in the litigation.
   
   

Where a shooting range is seeking support, the following additional information must be provided: (1) whether there is an ownership interest; (2) whether the activity is challenged despite a range protection law; (3) whether the operation of the range is lawful; (4) whether the range was allowed to operate without a range protection law and is now threatened with a shut down; (5) whether the range is open to the public; and (6) number of members.

The Fund shall not return submitted material. Therefore, originals should not be sent. Also, privileged attorney-client materials should not be sent.

A recipient of funding shall reimburse the Fund, to the extent of fund involvement, if costs or attorney's fees are awarded. Furthermore, a recipient of funding agrees to have his or her likeness and case used for fund raising by the Fund as a condition for receiving financial support.

Submit Your Request to:
                                       NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund
                                       11250 Waples Mill Road
                                       Fairfax, Va.  22030

Contact us at:  
                      Email: nracrdf@nrahq.org
                      Phone: 703-267-1250
                      Fax: 703-267-3985