Center for Animal Law Studies

Alumni Spotlight ? David Raatz (Lewis & Clark Law School Animal Law LLM, 2024) has helped to successfully found an Animal Law Section within the Hawaii State Bar Association! In addition to serving as the Director of Council Services for the County of Maui, David is a board member for Leilani Farm Sanctuary of Maui (he is pictured with a rescued goose while volunteering at the Sanctuary), and teaches at the University of Hawai‘i. David says "I saw the need for an Animal Law Section in Hawai?i, where we face many challenging animal issues. So, last fall I started collaborating with other Hawai?i-licensed attorneys on creating a section within the Hawai?i State Bar Association. We developed bylaws for a proposed section and submitted a petition to the HSBA to create an Animal Law Section. I’m thrilled to report that on February 26, 2025, the HSBA’s board of directors voted to approve the Hawai?i Animal Law Section!" The endeavor was a team effort resulting from collaboration with other attorneys who share David's passion for animal law, including Savannah Sherman, James Honda, Ariel Ashe-Ramirez and Jennifer Hee. He also says that "HSBA Executive Director Cathy Betts and Deputy Executive Director Iris Ito have provided invaluable help to get the section up and running." David will serve as the Section's Treasurer. On behalf of all of us at the Center for Animal Law Studies, Mahalo for your fantastic work for animals! ?? #animallaw #leadership #animalprotection ?? : David with a rescued goose while volunteering at the Leilani Farm Sanctuary where he serves as a Board Member.

Please join us and our co-hosts for the 3rd annual Comparative Animal Law Virtual Postgraduate Workshop on April 8-9, 2025. You'll hear from LLM, MSL and PhD candidates from around the world as they present on topics of comparative animal law. ?? There will be keynote presentations by: ?? Visa Kurki, Associate Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law, on April 8th; and ?? David Bilchitz Professor of Fundamental Rights and Constitutional Law, University of Johannesburg on April 9th. This event is free and open to the public. For the full schedule and to register, visit ?? https://lnkd.in/g6SEk9Jw The Workshop is co-hosted by the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School, US; the Faculty of Law and Political Science, Aix-Marseille University (AMU), France; Kent Centre for European and Comparative Law, Kent Law School, Canterbury, UK; NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India; the Faculty of Law, West University of Timisoara, Romania; and the South African Institute for Advanced Constitution, Public, Human Rights and International Law, a Centre of the University of Johannesburg. #animallaw #AnimalProtection #ComparativeLaw

Leading the fight to combat industrial animal agriculture, the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School offers students numerous pathways to improve the lives of animals while combating the existential threat posed by climate change: ? In-person students can participate in the Farmed Animal Protection Project: a two-semester experiential learning course that incorporates topics including climate justice; ? For online and in-person students, the Industrial Animal Agriculture Law course delves into the myriad welfare concerns and environmental harms created by concentrated animal feeding operations; ? For online and in-person students, the Aquatic Animal Law course explores the industrialization of aquatic animal farming; and ? The Food Law course offered online considers how to safeguard animal welfare and environmental health in food production. Learn more about employing animal advocacy to combat climate change in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/gBde3V9R The deadline to apply for our advanced degree program for Fall 2025 is May 1st! Learn more about degree offerings, application requirements and more here: https://lnkd.in/gfFqnrU8 #animallaw #climatechange #collaboration #environment ?? :iStock

Attention Lewis & Clark Law School animal law JD students! ?? Applications are due by April 11th for the 2025-26 Law Scholars for Change Animal Law Tuition Scholarships! Founded by Charles Anderson and Pamela Gross, the Law Scholars for Change Program supports individuals who have demonstrated the passion and commitment to promote the well-being or protection of animals through the law. This scholarship provides economic support to help relieve some of the financial burden of law school so that students seeking an animal law certificate can graduate without a level of debt that may otherwise prevent them from pursuing animal rights and public policy interest work. Preference is given to students seeking to specialize in industrial animal agriculture law. Log into TWEN and join the course named “2025-26 Donor Supported Scholarships” (no password needed). Then, carefully review the Scholarship Application Instructions and Scholarship Summary. #animallaw #animalprotection #animalawyer

Join the Animal Law Review today (March 15th) at 10:00 am PT for an engaging discussion about litigation tools against animal breeders and roadside zoos. This symposium covers different laws that can be used to sue animal breeders and roadside zoos for mistreatment of animals. These different statutes can be used to achieve one common goal: justice for animals. The event is being held in-person at Lewis & Clark Law School in McCarty 4, and for in-person attendees, ALR will provide breakfast from Ben & Esther’s with coffee at 10:00 am PT, and lunch from Vertical Diner at 11:45 am PT (all options are vegan). Attendees can also join virtually via Zoom, using this link: https://lnkd.in/g5iyVhzB Full schedule and event details here: https://lnkd.in/gm-4K5n #animallaw #animalprotection ?? : Pexels

Alumni Spotlight! ? This week, Lewis & Clark Law School Animal Law LLM alums ('22, Zimbabwe) Ignatious Kudakwashe Maeresa, Nancy Makuvise, and linda masudze held a Policy Brief Round Table meeting on plastic pollution and animal welfare in Zimbabwe. The aim of this event was to share knowledge amongst stakeholders, including: scientists, law makers, community members, members of the academia, retailers and producers of plastic products. The knowledge gained from the event will be used to produce a policy brief on plastic pollution and its impact on the environment with particular focus on animals. This event is part of the Global Ambassador Program (GAP) work of CALS Ambassador, Linda Masudze, entitled "Solutions to Plastics Pollution." Linda notes that "The One Health Concept recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, yet there is currently no focus in Zimbabwe on the impact of plastics pollution on animals." Linda's GAP project aims to fill this gap, and she is doing so through collaboration with her Animal Law LLM colleagues. #animallaw #leadership #collaboration #plasticpollution #FeelGoodFriday ?? : Pictured left to right: Douglas Coltart, Ignatious Kudakwashe Maeresa, Nancy Makuvise, and linda masudze

On March 14, 2025, from 12:30-1:50pm PT, Lewis & Clark Law School Professor Pamela Frasch is giving the Annual Animal Law Rights and Policy Lecture at the University of Victoria. In this talk — The Uncomfortable Future of Animal Law (even if everything goes “right”) — she will examine the evolving relationship between humans and animals, the ethical tensions it creates, and the real-world challenges that come with reimagining justice for nonhuman beings. Ultimately, the future of animal law depends not just on legal reforms but on our willingness to recalibrate our place in the world—and to confront, head-on, the profound consequences of that transformation. Attend in person at the Fraser Building Room 157 or online via Zoom with this link: https://lnkd.in/gcw9pzZd #animallaw #AnimalProtection

A baby pygmy hippopotamus named Moo Deng took the internet by storm last summer. But behind the viral memes lies the opportunity for an important conversation about wild animal protection. In this blog, Ally Grimaldi, Lewis & Clark Law School JD alum ('24) and Fellow for the Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment, shares the plight of pygmy hippos, including: their dwindling numbers (there are only 2-3,000 remaining individuals in the wild), causes (deforestation, river pollution, and predation by humans), and what more must be done to protect them. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gqYeeGk4 GLA is a collaboration of the Center for Animal Law Studies and the Lewis & Clark Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law Program. Law students (JD and LLM) at Lewis & Clark Law School actively participate in GLA’s work for academic credit. #animallaw #AnimalProtection #wildanimals ?? : iStock

TODAY, March 10th, is the last day to submit a Call for Proposal for the 33rd annual Animal Law Conference, taking place October 17-19, 2025, in Chicago, IL and online. Proposals for individual presentations should appeal to law students, legal professionals, legal scholars, and general animal advocates. Submit yours here: https://lnkd.in/gJha_A39 The Animal Law Conference is co-presented annually by the Center for Animal Law Studies and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. #animallaw #animalprotection #AnimalLawCon

The 2025 Public Interest Law Project (PILP)'s auction is today, Saturday, March 8th, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM PT in the LRC at Lewis & Clark Law School!! Join PILP's 34th Annual Auction: Whispers of the Past, Bids for the Future! This speakeasy-themed evening begins with a cocktail hour at 5 PM, followed by the live auction at 7 PM. Bid for amazing items (like this doggy goody basket donated by the Center for Animal Law Studies) and support the future of public interest law! Purchase tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gQ8ctNMH #publicinterestlaw #lawstudents