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!
Monday, August 22, 2011
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.
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
You 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:
Lewis & Clark Law School
Portland, Oregon
You 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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)