Firearms Research Center at UW Receives Major Gift from Legal Expert

The Firearms Research Center (FRC) at the University of Wyoming College of Law recently received a generous gift from Joseph Olson, a professor emeritus of law at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn.

“I am proud to support the Firearms Research Center and its efforts to elevate the conversation surrounding firearms in America,” Olson says. “Through this gift, the FRC will continue to be a valuable, nonpartisan resource for academics, lawmakers and members of the media. It will lead the way on relevant research that guides public discourse and public policy.”

The donation will bolster the FRC’s mission to foster meaningful dialogue and produce impactful research on firearms and the Second Amendment through scholarship, legal training and public resources.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this generous gift from Professor Olson,” says Ashley Hlebinsky, executive director of the FRC. “In short order, we built a trusted academic center that produces high-quality research, hosts events on timely Second Amendment-related topics, and provides insight for lawmakers and media while offering resources to raise awareness around mental health and suicide. With Professor Olson’s support, we will be able to hire additional staff to help grow the Center and further its mission.”

Olson, a leading expert in tax and business law, wrote “Federal Taxation of Intellectual Property Transfers” (1986) and is widely respected as a legal adviser. Before joining the Hamline law school faculty, he practiced at the Minneapolis law firm Dorsey & Whitney and was elected to the Order of the Coif in law school. Olson teaches courses in business law and taxation and a Second Amendment seminar.

He has an established interest in firearms regulation both as a constitutional right and as a practical matter. Olson was cited in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and recently in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court’s Duncan v. Becerra (2020). He co-wrote amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and in McDonald v. Chicago (2010).

Founded in 2023 by legal scholar George Mocsary and firearms historian Hlebinsky, the FRC seeks to enrich the firearms discussion by bringing together diverse voices, training future firearms lawyers and serving as a trusted, nonpartisan resource.

To learn more about the FRC, visit www.firearmsresearchcenter.org.