Joshua G. Prince

Joshua Prince was born and raised in Berks County, PA, and is the fourth generation of Princes practicing in the local area; the son of Warren H. Prince, grandson of Harold H. Prince, and great-grandson of Joseph L. Prince. Joshua graduated from The Hill School in 2000 and McGill University in 2005 with a double major in Political Science and World Religions. He then went on to attend Widener Law School, where he was a member of the Widener Law Journal, and in 2009 graduated with honors, Cum Laude.

Joshua is very Rights oriented and as such, has focused his practice on Firearms Law and has become the Chief Counsel of the Firearms Industry Consulting Group^® (FICG^®), a division of Civil Rights Defense Firm, P.C., where he has represented more than 2000 individuals, 300 Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) and several dozen gun clubs/ranges on various state and federal issues. He is an avid firearms collector and target shooter, who owns numerous Title II (NFA) firearms, as well as, Title I firearms. More importantly, he understands the need for a dedicated firearms lawyer who will ensure that the State and Federal Right to Keep and Bear Arms will not be infringed. Joshua has taught numerous Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars on Firearms Law for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, local bar associations and even the National Rifle Association (NRA). He also frequently posts videos on FICG’s^® YouTube Channels – FICG Federal and FICG Pennsylvania – advising individuals, FFLs, and gun clubs/ranges of important firearms law related issues.

Joshua’s steadfast devotion and dedication to protection of our firearms rights began during law school when he wrote an article on the Inaccuracy of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), which has been cited to in several federal appellate briefs. Since then, he had the distinct honor and privilege of having been published in Volume 27, Issue 1, of the St. Thomas Law Journal on the Inalienable Right to Stand Your Ground.

As mentioned above, Joshua also has his own law firm, Civil Rights Defense Firm, P.C. (CRDF), where he handles certain civil rights deprivations, firearms law issues and class actions, including through the CRDF’s division, Firearms Industry Consulting Group. More recently, he also formed Cannabis Industry Law Group, a division of Civil Rights Defense Firm, where they provide innovative legal solutions for today’s Cannabis Industry.

You can often find Joshua posting on several internet forums, including Subguns, Uzitalk, AR15, and PAFOA. He also holds PA Firearms Law classes for local ranges to help inform the public of the firearm laws of the Commonwealth.

When not involved in the practice of the law or firearms related endeavors, he can be found cooking, hitting the gym, and trying anything new that comes his way. Following in his father’s footsteps, he served first as a Board member and then as Secretary and lastly as President for the Pottstown Police Athletic League (PAL).

Areas of Practice

Any and all aspects of Firearms Law, including:

• Individuals
  • Self-Defense Shootings
  • License to Carry Firearms Denials and Revocations
  • Challenges to Erroneous PICS Denials
  • Relief from Firearms Disabilities
  • Estate Planning Advice
  • Gun/NFA Trusts
  • 42 U.S.C. 1983 Actions for Deprivation of Civil Rights
• Federal Firearms Licensees
  • Corporate Structure Advice and FFL Procurement, including specialized corporate Operating Agreements and By-Laws for FFLs
  • Sales Contracts
  • Waivers
  • Import/Export Regulations and ITAR Compliance
  • ATF Compliance Inspections
  • Warning Letters and Hearings
  • FFL Denials and Revocations
  • Forfeiture Proceedings
• Gun Clubs and Ranges
  • Corporate Structure Advice and FFL Procurement, including specialized corporate Operating Agreements and By-Laws for Gun Clubs and Ranges
  • Indoor/Outdoor Implementation and OSHA Compliance Issues
  • Defense against Nuisance Suits
  • Waivers and Indemnification Agreements

Bar Admissions

• All Pennsylvania Courts
• All Maryland Courts
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• District Court for the District of Colorado

Select Major Cases

• John Doe, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, et al. – Class action lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and several other defendants relating to their publication of statutorily confidential information, which resulted in a $1.425 million dollar settlement and a number of policy changes.
• Barbara Hench, et al., v. Perry County Sheriff Carl Nace – Successfully represented Sheriff Nace, pro-bono, in an action by the Perry County Auditors to force him to disclose statutorily confidential information.
• Justin Dillon v. City of Erie – Successfully established that preemption precludes the City of Erie’s
  ordinance criminalizing the possession of firearms in a city park.
  
• Caba v. Weaknecht – Before the Commonwealth Court, successfully established both a liberty and property interest, for procedural due process purposes, in an issued license.
• Andrew Dissinger v. Manheim Township School District – Represented Mr. Dissinger in an action regarding violations of his due process rights, which the Commonwealth Court confirmed. Thereafter, represented Mr. Dissinger in a federal civil rights deprivation action in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which resulted in a settlement.

Published Law Journal Articles

• The Inalienable Right to Stand Your Ground, St. Thomas Law Journal, Volume 27, Issue 1.
• The Weidner/Hendricks Headache – Fee Disputes in Workers’ Compensation Matters, Widener Law Journal, Volume 18, No. 2.

Select Published Articles

• Firearms Law 101: Knowing When Your Client Loses His/Her Second Amendment Rights – (PA Bar Assoc. At Issue, Spring 2012)
• Grandpop’s Machine Gun in the Chest: Part I of II (Pa Bar Assoc. At Issue, Fall 2012)
• Grandpop’s Machine Gun in the Chest: Part II of II (Pa Bar Assoc. At Issue, Spring 2013)
• Violating Due Process – Convictions based on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record when its Records are Missing, not yet published.
• I Bequeath My Machine Gun to … Pennsylvania Bar Association publication (Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, Issue # 64, Fall 2007)

Select Seminars Taught

• My Estate Has Firearms, Now What? – 15^th Annual Estate & Elder Law Symposium, PBI – Feb 12, 2014 and Feb. 20, 2014 and 20^th Annual Estate Law Conference, PBI – November 14, 2013
• Firearms and Real Estate in Estates – Estate Planning Council of Lehigh Valley – 2013
• Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium – View from the Street:
  Firearms Law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, National Rifle Association (NRA) – 2012
• 18th Annual Estate Law Institute Firearms in Estates Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2011
• Pennsylvania Gun Crimes and Sentencing Montgomery Bar Association, Criminal Defense Bar, 2011
• Firearms in Estates Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2011
• Firearms 101 What Every Practitioner Needs to Know about Firearms Law Berks County Bar Association, 2011
• Firearms in Estates and Trust Dauphin County Bar Association, Cumberland County Bar Association, and Berks County Bar Association, 2008 2009.

Education

• Widener Law School Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude 2009
• McGill University Double Major of Political Science and World Religions, B.A. with honors
• The Hill School – 2000

Honors and Awards

• 2016 NRA Defender of Freedom Award
• 2012-2015 AVVO Clients’ Choice Award for Federal Regulation, Constitutional Law, State and Local Law, and Trusts
• Maryland Qualified Handgun Instructor for Handgun Qualification Licenses and Wear and Carry Permits
• NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer (CRSO)
• NRA Certified Basic Pistol Instructor
• NRA Certified Personal Protection in the Home Instructor
• NRA Certified Home Firearm Safety Instructor
• Former Member of the Widener Law Journal
• Graduate Cum Laude from Widener Law School
• Graduate with honors from McGill University