Attorney Andrew Branca, author of The Law of Self Defense, is travelling around the country putting on an outstanding one day class: The Law of Self Defense -- Level 1 Class.
I took the class last Sunday. It was a great class, well worth the time and money, and pretty much a "must take" for anyone who carries or keeps a gun for self defense. The class as given in a State will address the use-of-force laws of that State, as well as the general legal principles of use-of-force law. Lawyers taking this class might also be able to get CLE credit.
A general outline of the class and its organization may be found at the link I provided above. One thing I found especially useful is the way Mr. Branca broke down and described the five elements of justification for the use of force against another person: Innocence; Imminence; Proportionality; Avoidance: and Reasonableness. There was extensive discussion of what these mean and how they apply in real life terms in different situations. And if any one of these is absent, the legal claim of self defense fails.
Students also had the option of signing up for some simulator training after the class was done. We each had a chance to face one scenario (armed with a laser gun) and solve the problem presented. Some warranted an immediate and decisive, lethal response. Some absolutely did not. And some really didn't have any clear solution. After each scenario the participant was debriefed and the situation and resolution analyzed.
One feature of the exercise is especially worth noting here. Upon completion of the scenario the student was asked to turn his back to the screen. He/she was then asked a variety of questions about what he/she saw. Everyone got one or more things wrong -- an excellent lesson in how stress can affect perception and memory.
Mr. Branca has practiced law for some 25 years and focused on self defense sind 1998. He's a knowledgeable and engaging speaker, and I both thoroughly enjoyed my time in his class and learned some things. In fact, I've already signed up for his Level 2 class.
There are few ways for a private citizen to learn this material, and for those of us who have guns for our protection and the protection of our families, a solid understanding of use-of-force law can be vital to our futures.
I took the class last Sunday. It was a great class, well worth the time and money, and pretty much a "must take" for anyone who carries or keeps a gun for self defense. The class as given in a State will address the use-of-force laws of that State, as well as the general legal principles of use-of-force law. Lawyers taking this class might also be able to get CLE credit.
A general outline of the class and its organization may be found at the link I provided above. One thing I found especially useful is the way Mr. Branca broke down and described the five elements of justification for the use of force against another person: Innocence; Imminence; Proportionality; Avoidance: and Reasonableness. There was extensive discussion of what these mean and how they apply in real life terms in different situations. And if any one of these is absent, the legal claim of self defense fails.
Students also had the option of signing up for some simulator training after the class was done. We each had a chance to face one scenario (armed with a laser gun) and solve the problem presented. Some warranted an immediate and decisive, lethal response. Some absolutely did not. And some really didn't have any clear solution. After each scenario the participant was debriefed and the situation and resolution analyzed.
One feature of the exercise is especially worth noting here. Upon completion of the scenario the student was asked to turn his back to the screen. He/she was then asked a variety of questions about what he/she saw. Everyone got one or more things wrong -- an excellent lesson in how stress can affect perception and memory.
Mr. Branca has practiced law for some 25 years and focused on self defense sind 1998. He's a knowledgeable and engaging speaker, and I both thoroughly enjoyed my time in his class and learned some things. In fact, I've already signed up for his Level 2 class.
There are few ways for a private citizen to learn this material, and for those of us who have guns for our protection and the protection of our families, a solid understanding of use-of-force law can be vital to our futures.
