Professor Anita Bernstein Joins Amicus Brief in Sandy Hook Lawsuit
Professor Anita Bernstein was among 13 nationally renowned law professors specializing in common-law torts who filed an amicus brief with the Connecticut Supreme Court arguing that negligent entrustment should apply to the gun makers of the AR-15 used in the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. The case was brought by families of the victims against Bushmaster Firearms International, a manufacturer and distributor of firearms.
Bernstein told the Connecticut Law Tribune she believes the brief respects the Second Amendment while addressing the need to hold gun makers accountable.
"Guns cause a huge amount of harm, and right now the manufacturers just aren't paying for any of the destruction they're profiting from," she said.
Bernstein is a nationally recognized authority on tort law and feminist jurisprudence, as well as professional responsibility and products liability. Her awards include the first Fulbright scholarship in European Union affairs given to a law professor. She is a member of the American Law Institute and a past chair of the Association of American Law Schools Executive Committee on Torts and Compensation Systems.
Her writings have appeared in dozens of prominent law reviews, and her books address torts, products liability, and the law of marriage. Bernstein’s wide-ranging interests extend to microfinance, diversity as a rationale for affirmative action, and comparative and international law.
She has also authored a series on legal malpractice in the New York Law Journal, as well as the recent “Treble Damages in New York: A Field Guide.”
Read “Law Profs Say Gun Makers Should Be Liable for Sandy Hook Shooting.”