Wednesday, December 28, 2011

New Careers in Animal Law Book


About Careers in Animal Law

One of the fastest growing legal disciplines, animal law is concerned with protecting and improving the lives of animals through city ordinances, state and federal laws, international treaties, and cases that impact animals. Over 100 law schools in the U.S. now offer animal law courses, and more lawyers than ever before are looking to start animal law firms or incorporate animal cases into their practices. The first book of its kind, Careers in Animal Law will help you:

  • Gain an overview of the field from a practicing animal lawyer and professor of animal law
  • Forge a successful animal law career with firms of all types and sizes, government agencies, major corporations, or nonprofit organizations
  • Strike out on your own as a solo practitioner of animal law
  • Learn career tips from a series of animal-lawyer profiles
  • Understand evolving trends in legislation, litigation, and academia that will change the face of animal law in the decades to come
Law students interested in animal law, seasoned attorneys seeking a new direction, or any lawyer interested in building a satisfying career will benefit from reading Careers in Animal Law.

More information is available here.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

First Meeting of the Semester!

The first Animal Law Society meeting of the semester will take place today! All law students are welcome to attend.


September 28, 2011
AB Hall Room 403
12:08 - 1:00pm


Agenda items to be discussed:

  • Potential Guest Speakers for the Semester
  • Interest in creating an Animal Law course
  • Community Service Project Sign-Up
  • Electing a new Social Chair
Lunch will be provided. See you there!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Welcome 1Ls!

Hey! We'll be at the Orientation Week Activities Fair to hand out information this Tuesday. If you're interested in joining the Animal Law Society, please make sure to sign up at the table to get information about upcoming events and animal law opportunities.


We're looking forward to meeting you! Good luck on your first day of school!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Pet inheritance: the trouble with Trouble’s money

A great article on an interesting part of Animal Law from the Washington University Newsroom:
Estate planning with Fido in mind? Better be careful, says a trusts and estates expert at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.

The issue has been in the news recently. British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who died in February 2010, left a sizeable sum of money to his beloved dogs; Trouble, the recently deceased dog of “The Queen of Mean,” Leona Helmsley, famously inherited $12 million.

Beyond celebrities, a powerful pet inheritance constituency thrives. Between 12 percent and 27 percent of owners have provisions for their pets in their wills. But what happens to the inheritance when the pet passes?

“Poor Trouble already had her bequest reduced to $2 million among other problems with the inheritance,” says Adrienne Davis, JD, the William M. Van Cleve Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis.

“The remainder of Trouble’s money will go to Helmsley’s charitable trust. And yet, the legal issues do not end there. Typically gifts to charitable trusts, including remainders such as this one, would qualify for a tax deduction. However tax law excludes charitable remainders following pet trusts from qualifying.”

Davis notes that there is one final anti-pet outrage in Trouble’s case. In addition to reducing Helmsley’s gift to Trouble, the probate judge overturned Helmsley’s directive that her charitable trust be used for animal welfare, instead permitting the trustees to distribute Helmsley’s assets to non-animal charities of their own choosing.

“Although pet inheritance in America was recognized in 1923, and despite several recent innovations, the law remains unstable,” Davis says. Helmsley’s final request for Trouble, that she be buried beside Helmsley in the family mausoleum, cannot be fulfilled as pets cannot be buried in human cemeteries.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

19th Annual Animal Law Conference - October 14-16, 2011

From ALDF:


October 14-16, 2011

Lewis & Clark Law School
Portland, Oregon

The Animal Law Conference at Lewis and ClarkYou are invited to attend the19th Annual Animal Law Conference at Lewis & Clark Law School, Standing Up for Animals: Can a Bad Economy Inspire Greater Goodness?

Dr. Bernard E. Rollin, university distinguished professor at Colorado State University, and Joyce Tischler, founder and general counsel of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, will deliver two special keynote addresses. Joining our keynote speakers is an exciting list of presenters, including:
  • Carter Dillard, director of litigation at the Animal Legal Defense Fund
  • David Favre, professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and editor-in-chief of Animal Legal & Historical Web Center
  • Pamela Frasch, assistant dean of the animal law program and executive director of the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School
  • Nancy Perry, senior vice president of government relations at ASPCA
  • Mariann Sullivan, board president of Our Hen House and adjunct law professor at Brooklyn and Cardozo Law Schools
  • Will Travers, CEO of Born Free Foundation
  • Many other animal law experts!
Several timely topics will be explored, including:

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

2011 National Animal Law Moot Court Competition

Recently Kailey Burger and Christopher Kwan, two members of Washington University's chapter of SALDF, participated in the First Annual National Animal Law Moot Court Competition at the University of Chicago School of Law. 


The competition took place on April 16th and 17th and competitors argued on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in a case involving the humane treatment of non-ambulatory animals in slaughterhouses. 


More information about the competition can be found here