Joshua Prince is Chief Counsel of the Civil Rights Defense Firm, P.C. (CRDF), where he concentrates and dedicates his practice in the area of defending his clients’ constitutional and statutory rights, under state and federal law. As he saw a need for a firm specifically dedicated to the inalienable right to Keep and Bear Arms, he formed Firearms Industry Consulting Group® (FICG®), a division of CRDF, where he is chief counsel. More recently, after also seeing the need for a firm dedicated to the Cannabis Industry, he formed Cannabis Industry Law Group, a division of CRDF, where Attorney Eric Winter and he provide innovative legal solutions for the Cannabis Industry. Joshua is also an attorney at Prince Law Offices, P.C.
Born and raised in Berks County, PA, he 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 civil rights deprivations and Firearms Law. As such, he has become the Chief Counsel of the Firearms Industry Consulting Group® (FICG®), a division of CRDF, 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.
His practice areas, specific to firearms law, include:
- Individuals
- 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
Given his breadth of knowledge and desire to defend the inalienable rights of those who frequently suffer from injustice, Joshua is admitted to practice law in the following jurisdictions:
- All state courts in Pennsylvania
- All state courts in Maryland
- 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
He has handled a number of major cases, including
- 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.
- Commonwealth v. Goslin – Where he successfully argued that an individual may possess a lawful weapon on school property, for any lawful purpose.
- 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.
He has had the following scholarly articles published in Law Journals:
- 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.
Some of his past honors and awards include:
- 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 Instructor for Handgun Qualification Licenses and Wear and Carry Permits
- 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