You could spend a lifetime studying self-defense laws in America. The legal repercussions of drawing your weapon to stop a threat are at least as complicated as the tactics and strategies you need to actually defeat violent attackers.

Fortunately, there are those who dedicate their entire lives to this topic. While it might cost you hundreds of dollars for just an hour to sit down with an attorney, we’ve collected over 20 hours of in-depth legal analysis for you. 

Attorney Tom Grieve, a highly-awarded former state prosecutor and founder of one of the largest criminal defense firms in Wisconsin, joins Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, to explore everything from the legal use of deadly force to how to survive civil chaos such as riots and protests.

They’ll answer hard-hitting questions from dozens of armed Americans across the country. This is your chance to hear honest, unfiltered legal and tactical advice about how the law of self-defense actually works for responsible gun owners.

We conducted a large survey to answer a broad range of questions about self-defense and the law for this first edition of your training series.

Ep1: Responsibly Armed - What Does It Mean?

This video will dive into a host of laws dealing with self-defense on and off your own property. We’ll address the most common concerns USCCA Members have raised about these laws. We’ll explore what you can do to ensure you understand them and make the right decisions for where you live.

Ep2: Castle Doctrine & Self-Defense Laws - No "Get out of Jail Free" Cards

Take steps to protect your rights and ensure you don’t cross state lines and find yourself in legal hot water.

Ep3: Travel & Self-Defense - What to Know When You Hit the Road

As a gun owner willing to stop a threat, you have to plan for your own safety with added care. Are you prepared to render first aid? Do you really want to risk your own life to provide aid to someone who attacked you? What’s your plan for talking to the police?

Ep5: Safety Strategies vs. Myths - The Greatest Threats

What happens after the threat stops and the police arrive? Remember the rule: Self-defense is a thinking person’s game.

Ep6: Aftermath of Self-Defense - What to Expect?

When should you reholster your gun after a self-defense incident? Is it a good idea to have a video camera on your firearm? When do you have a legal requirement to retreat from a threat? How far away does a threat have to be before you can shoot?

Ep7: ‘Simply’ Complicated Self-Defense - Member Questions Deep Dive

Having a right to self-defense is fundamentally different from understanding what those “rights” actually are in any given situation. The law is, unfortunately, complex and often interpreted differently by different people inside our legal system.

Ep8: Law of Self-Defense 101 - Understanding Our Legal System

The USCCA spent years putting ordinary gun owners through dynamic and intense self-defense situations. We’ve run people through everything from mass shooter attacks to robberies in dark alleys. These scenario-based training simulations can allow you to train your mind and body to survive those types of situations.

Ep9: Defeating Deadly Attackers - Effective Strategies for Self-Defense

Understanding your rights and how to interact with law enforcement, attorneys and our court system is essential.

Ep10: Surviving Legal Encounters - 911, Attorneys & Your Rights

We’ve dedicated this series to revisit some of the most common questions we get about self-defense here at the USCCA. We’ve covered some of them before in our training videos, but some are also completely new.

Ep11: Revisited Questions Edition - Context Matters

Everyday Americans who want to respect the law and protect themselves are still faced with a blizzard of different legal guidelines. The rules may be one thing in public, different at work or completely unclear. So we’re here to shed some light on how to navigate the chaos and make the smart choices in your day-to-day lives.

Ep12: Everyday Gun Laws - Life as an Armed American

America does not make the rules about self-defense and legal gun ownership easy. Far from it. We have a highly complicated legal system and even a lawyer can find it hard to navigate the rules.

Ep13: Self-Defense Confusion - How to Think Like a Protector

Surviving a self-defense situation takes more than just marksmanship skills and a concealed carry permit. You need to understand how to effectively stop an attacker and detect other threats. You also need to know how to avoid costly mistakes that could land you in legal hot water.

Ep14: Survival Instincts - Fiction vs. Reality

There are millions of concealed carry permit holders in America right now. These responsible gun owners reach out to the USCCA every single day for advice and training to help them become better protectors. This video series will focus on some of the most common and important questions we get at the USCCA.

Ep15: Concealed Carry 101 - Common Questions & Mistakes

America has a patchwork system of laws when it comes to firearms and self-defense. But now the country also has a confusing array of state and federal laws about marijuana usage. This spider web of legal potholes can have huge impacts on your gun rights.

Ep16: Cannabis & Firearms - Clash Between Drugs & Law

How do things like quarantines, martial law and other government actions impact your right to self-defense? What are some key issues and concerns inside the firearms community during these types of crises?

Ep17: Pandemic Edition - Coronavirus, Lockdowns & Self-Defense

Few things have ever changed the American political and social landscape quite like the aftermath of the coronavirus. Beyond just the virus, however, the response to the threat has exposed numerous social and legal challenges that could impact every gun owner. Lockdowns, quarantines, protests and a surge of gun sales have all drawn new attention to the importance of the Second Amendment.

Ep18: How to Lose Your Gun Rights - Lockdowns, Pandemics & Laws

Your dedication to training and education can save your life. They can help you protect the innocent and save the lives of the people you love. But did you know that preparation might also help you after the smoke clears?

Ep19: The Responsible Protector - Educated, Trained & Dedicated

Most self-defense training focuses on the legal use of force if you are confronted with a violent criminal or mass shooter. But the math of self-defense gets even more complicated when social tensions spike.

Ep20: Civil Unrest & Self-Defense - Safety in the Age of Mass Protests

When can you defend yourself against violent protests? How can you stay safe and out of jail during this hyper-political time? How can you protect your freedoms as an American without endangering your safety?

Ep21: Seattle, Statues & Your Safety - Legal Self-Defense During Social Strife

Would you know what to do in a road rage incident? 

Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, and top criminal defense attorney Tom Grieve recommend options to utilize when an angry driver turns stalker.

Ep22: Road-Rager Starts Following You — What Should You Do?

In this video, Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, and top criminal defense attorney Tom Grieve demystify the common misconceptions about what an attorney actually does.

Ep23: Do Lawyers Take Self-Defense Training?

Do you know when you can use pepper spray against a threat? In some states, you could be charged with a felony. Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, and attorney Tom Grieve, a highly awarded former state prosecutor, cover the topic of using pepper spray as a self-defense tool.

Ep24: When Can Someone Use Pepper Spray?

In this video, Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, and attorney Tom Grieve, a highly awarded former state prosecutor, cover two topics sent by USCCA Members surrounding a self-defense shooting. What happens after a self-defense incident? Would I get treated differently if I pulled the trigger in a self-defense shooting?

Ep25: Would I get treated differently if I pulled the trigger in a self-defense incident?

Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, and attorney Tom Grieve, a highly awarded former state prosecutor, cover topics sent in by our Members including, Body cams, Deadly force against a dog, How to remain silent without being a jerk when police arrive and more.

Ep26: Body Cams, Deadly Force Against a Dog and Much More...

What happens when you’re on vacation and you still want to carry concealed?

Concealed Carry Magazine Executive Editor Kevin Michalowski and top criminal defense attorney Tom Grieve break down this question.

Ep27: How to Carry Concealed While on Vacation

What is constitutional carry, what states does it apply to, and how does it affect gun owners?  

In this video, Concealed Carry Magazine Executive Editor Kevin Michalowski and top criminal defense attorney Tom Grieve break down this question.

Ep28: Constitutional Carry and What You Should Know

If you’re looking for a criminal defense attorney, how do you know which one is the right fit for your case — and what are the specific characteristics you should be looking for?

In this video, Concealed Carry Magazine Executive Editor Kevin Michalowski and top criminal defense attorney Tom Grieve break down this question.

Ep29: What Makes a Good Criminal Defense Attorney?

A 911 call is perhaps the most important call you’ll ever have to make, and knowing what you should say could mean the difference between freedom and a jail cell.  

Concealed Carry Magazine Executive Editor Kevin Michalowski and top criminal defense attorney Tom Grieve break down a 911 call and recommend tips throughout the video.

Ep30: Reacting to a 911 Call...

Ep31: The Opposing Bench Perspective

What are common mistakes people make while they are on trial for a self-defense incident? 
In this video top criminal defense attorney, Tom Grieve answers this question.

Ep32: Mistakes In The Courtroom

What happens when a routine stop goes sideways in a matter of seconds? In this video, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Tom Grieve and the USCCA’s own Kevin Michalowski analyze a violent encounter as it unfolds...

Ep33: Police Shooting Breakdown: Physiology of Fighting

You’re forced to disarm because of a “gun-free zone” sign in a business’s window. What legal options are available if you sustain an injury (or worse) due to a violent attack? In this video, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Tom Grieve answers this question and more.

Ep34: Gun-Free Zones: Can You Take Legal Action?!

Ep35: Biggest Takeaway From The Rittenhouse Case

How many times can you shoot an attacker before it’s considered excessive … turning a self-defense incident into a homicide? In this video, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Tom Grieve answers this question and more.

Ep36: Legal Implications When Shooting Multiple Times To Stop The Threat

Legally deploying non-deadly force seems pretty cut and dry, right? Actually, that may not always be the case. In this video, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Tom Grieve sheds light on a few things to consider before using less-than-lethal defense.

Ep37: When Is It Legal to Use Pepper Spray?

Ep38: Self-Defense vs Stuff-Defense

Ep39: Was this really self-defense?

Kevin Michalowski and Tom Grieve react to video footage of a violent road rage incident.

Ep40: Road Rage Incident, 6 in the back

Castle Doctrine laws create the legal presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm when someone is breaking into your home, automobile or other structure covered by your state’s law. In this video, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Tom Grieve explains why using deadly force may not be the best option in every circumstance.

Ep41: Breaking Into a Car With Someone In It

In this episode, Tom Grieve, noted criminal defense attorney, discusses the legality of using a firearm to engage an active shooter while stopped at a gas station in Illinois.

Ep42: Stopping an Active Shooter Without a Concealed Carry License in Illinois

In this episode, Tom Grieve, noted criminal defense attorney, explains the effects of preemption as local municipalities pass more restrictive gun laws.

​Ep43: More Restrictive Gun Laws in Response to Bruen

Tom Grieve, noted criminal defense attorney, discusses the legality of using deadly for to protect the life of a service animal from a deadly threat.

Ep44: Using Deadly Force To Protect The Life Of A Service Dog

In this episode of Ask An Attorney, Tom Grieve, noted criminal defense attorney discusses the legal implications of carrying a concealed firearm when in the presence of a convicted felon.

Ep45: Carrying a concealed weapon while with a known felon

Tom Grieve, noted criminal defense attorney, examines the legal requirements for a concealed carrier during an interaction with police.

Ep46: Surrendering Your Firearm During An Interaction With a Police Officer

Castle Doctrine can be a confusing topic. In this episode, Tom Grieve explains when and how Castle Doctrine applies to the use of deadly force.