Current California Assemblymember Catherine Stefani ’95 '03 will be returning to the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law to teach a class in the upcoming fall semester on torts and gun law.  

Stefani earned both a JD and LLM degree from McGeorge School of Law.  

Stefani has been involved in the gun violence prevention movement since the 1999 Columbine mass shooting. Continuing with the movement, she did legal volunteer work at Giffords Law Center after the Aurora shooting in 2012. She led the California and San Francisco chapters of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization fighting for public safety measures to better protect people from gun violence after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  

“Gun violence is so pervasive in our American society, and what laws and public policies shape those discussions is how we keep people safe,” Stefani said. “This course is going to touch on all of it. Constitutional Law, federal regulations, policies at the local level to really get gun violence in the country and to see who is liable, who’s accountable, and how we can make our community safer through the law.”  

The National Crime Information Center requires that Federal Firearm Licensees conduct background checks on individuals before they purchase a firearm. While federal law sets a baseline, it is up to the states to implement regulations and criteria for gun ownership.   

During Stefani’s time as a legislator in San Francisco, she helped at the local level passing Californias first ghost gun ban. Any firearm that does not have a traceable serial number is defined as a ghost gun.  

“A lot of people said that it didn’t really make sense. There are other ways for people to get a hold of ghost guns, but that’s not always the point,” Stefani said. “What happened then is that San Diego passed it, and then other countries and cities started banning ghost guns, and it woke up the California state legislature.”  

In 2026, the California Lawyers Association recognized Stefani with the Legislator of the Year Award. She was also featured as a keynote speaker at this year's Legislative Leaders Speaker Series at McGeorge. 

Now in her second year as an Assemblymember, Stefani explains that when it comes to gun laws and gun violence prevention, there is “no silver bullet,” as she works towards solutions from different angles and perspectives. 

“My idea for this course is to objectively teach the facts while leading good discussions around a very hard subject for a lot of people to discuss,” Stefani explained. “I’m also looking forward to trying to build common ground and have a discussion that is respectful of both sides.” 

Currently, Stefani is working on a bill that would help limit access to weapons during volatile situations such as stressful legal suits, custody and divorce, along with individuals experiencing suicide risks. By allowing police departments in the state to store individuals’ firearms until cases are concluded, removing the potential for use.  

The bill does not state exact details of how the program needs to be organized, allowing police departments to set up the program in a way that works for each precinct.   

“There are a lot of responsible gun owners out there, but it’s not about taking people’s guns away; it’s about making sure you are responsible with them,” Stefani said. “So, we need to change the culture.” 

Students can begin registering for classes on June 22 at 9 a.m. The last day to add or drop courses is August 24.  

For the second consecutive year, McGeorge was ranked as No. 1 in the country for government law by National Jurist Magazine, tied with New York Law School and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. 

“I’m very much looking forward to the bright minds of McGeorge helping to shed light on what we can do in this field. Using the laws that are on the books and different intersections of policy to make our community safer,” Stefani said.