Animal Law Fundamentals (unless equivalent course already taken) – This course presents a survey of the historical and current status of this rapidly developing specialty both in the United States and around the globe. In brief, animal law encompasses all areas of the law in which the nature – legal, social, or biological – of nonhuman animals is an important factor. Hence, a number of traditional substantive areas of law will be utilized as the lens through which we conduct our animal law exploration, including, but not limited to: criminal law, constitutional law, contract law, consumer protection law, estate planning law, domestic relations law, and comparative international law. Animal Law is an objective and logical specialization of a challenging area – one with a growing number of cases and laws, increasing public and practical interest, and with significantly different historical, legal, and philosophical foundations than most other law specialties. Students will leave this course with an in-depth understanding of this complexity, and with the necessary tools to engage further into more specialized inquiries.

Emerging Topics in Animal Law (for U.S. students only; to be taken twice), such as;

• Insect Law – Despite making up the largest biomass of the world’s terrestrial animals and despite numerous studies pointing to their cognitive, emotional, and other capacities, insects (in the informal sense of the term) have historically been overlooked in animal rights advocacy. Shedding light on who these unique beings are and the myriad dangers they face—whether for use as food, clothing, research, entertainment, or otherwise—this course explores numerous avenues to safeguard their interests and protect their lives.
• Veterinary Animal Law – The veterinary profession plays an influential role in shaping law and policy relating to animal welfare. In the United States, the Veterinarian’s Oath calls for veterinarians to use their “scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.” While both veterinarians and animal lawyers share a deep love for animals and both work to improve their lives, the veterinary profession and the legal profession have often found themselves at odds over animal law and policy. This course endeavors to marry concepts from animal law and veterinary law. Students learn about the history of the veterinary profession, the veterinarian’s oath, the practice of veterinary medicine, regulation of the profession, civil claims, veterinary ethics, policy positions taken by veterinary professional organizations in strategic animal protection litigation, and more. Students also delve into an array of examples where veterinarians and/or the veterinary profession have shaped or have the potential to shape animal law and policy. Together, we’ll also consider the future of the veterinary profession and explore how veterinarians and animal lawyers can find common ground and work collaboratively for the benefit of animals.
• Women, Animals & Activism – Women have had a pivotal but too often under-recognized role in the animal protection movement. This course will focus on the historical contribution of women as animal activists, from founding what is considered to be the first animal shelter in the United States, to advocating for early animal protection legislation, to serving as trailblazers in animal protection organizations. Students will also explore the social, economic, cultural, political, religious, and other arguments that have been used to facilitate the oppression and exploitation of both women and animals through the law. Students will apply lessons from the women’s rights movement to the animal protection movement, specifically focusing on effective arguments and approaches to improve laws, policies, practices, and public attitudes.
• Animals, Law, & the Modern Media – This course surveys the ways in which modern media treats animals, how the media influences the lives of animals, as well as how the media shapes animal advocacy. Students will analyze and discuss a wide range of different types of media featuring animals, including relevant legal cases and issues. For instance, students will examine how the treatment of animals working in the film and television industries has changed over time and how animals’ appearances in these types of media have shaped society’s view of them; explore ways in which documentaries and other platforms have been used to advocate for animals; study the use of animals in advertising, specifically assessing how animals have been used to influence consumer psychology; assess the legal implications of advertising “humane” products and recent consumer protection litigation involving animal products; decipher the ways in which social media can serve as an advocacy tool, as well as shape societal views of animals; and consider ways in which animals themselves can be content creators and related legal implications.

Introduction to US Legal Studies –  This course is designed to acquaint Animal Law MSL students and International Animal Law LLM students with the foundations of U.S. law and methods of U.S. legal study, thereby preparing them for success in their animal law courses. More specifically, this course will touch upon the national and sub-national framework of the U.S. government and call attention to the constitutional bases that inform judicial rulings in the U.S. legal system. This course will also familiarize students with U.S. legal writing, research methods, and typical U.S.-style law school exams.

Animal Law Fundamentals – This course presents a survey of the historical and current status of this rapidly developing specialty both in the United States and around the globe. In brief, animal law encompasses all areas of the law in which the nature – legal, social, or biological – of nonhuman animals is an important factor. Hence, a number of traditional substantive areas of law will be utilized as the lens through which we conduct our animal law exploration, including, but not limited to: criminal law, constitutional law, contract law, consumer protection law, estate planning law, domestic relations law, and comparative international law. Animal Law is an objective and logical specialization of a challenging area – one with a growing number of cases and laws, increasing public and practical interest, and with significantly different historical, legal, and philosophical foundations than most other law specialties. Students will leave this course with an in-depth understanding of this complexity, and with the necessary tools to engage further into more specialized inquiries.

*Both courses are to be taken in the first term.

Animal Law Trial Advocacy – Whether you are a lawyer or non-lawyer, litigation is an important tool in animal advocacy. This course examines advocacy in the context of animal law trials, with a focus on the unique challenges that animal advocates face in the courts, in addition to providing an opportunity to develop practical skills. This online course is designed to address fundamentals while also being accessible to MSL students.

Through real cases and hypothetical exercises, students will explore: when litigation is (and is not) advantageous; the psychology of persuasion (including implicit bias and species bias); proven tactics and innovative approaches to effectively telling the animal’s story; the anatomy of a trial and its key phases; the differences between lay and expert witnesses and between opening statements and closing arguments; business, practical, and ethical considerations that may arise in animal trial advocacy; and more. Students will also study the use of strategic litigation (i.e., litigation that is designed to foster social change beyond the case itself) in animal law. We will use a range of venues to examine these topics, including civil and criminal courts.

A comprehensive understanding of the role of litigation in animal advocacy is important for advocates who may be involved in litigation as a trial attorney, client, a fact or expert witness, an amicus party (friend of the court), a nonprofit executive, or in some other capacity. Our analysis will begin before reaching the courthouse doors and will also extend to business and practical considerations involved in animal law litigation.

Animal Law Legislation & Lobbying – This course will equip students with the skills needed to conceptualize, draft, and pass governmental policies that benefit animals. The course will follow a typical policy intervention. First, students will survey existing animal laws and identify opportunities for improvement. Second, students will learn how to draft a piece of legislation (or other governmental policy), using a practical policy design framework. And finally, students will learn how to advocate for the passage of their proposed policy through hands-on, interactive lobbying activities amongst themselves. Students should complete the course with the resources, skills and confidence they need to bring about meaningful public policy change for animals in their chosen jurisdiction.

Animal Legal Philosophy – Forming the basis of animal law is the question of how our laws and legal systems should treat non-human animals. This course examines one possible answer to this question: animal rights. The promotion of rights for nonhuman animals came into prominence in response to and as an alternative to animal welfare measures. Although many find this dichotomy to be an outdated approach, this course will consider the history that led to animal rights and critically assess potential pathways for nonhuman animals to transition from property to right-holding persons. The course will conclude with a consideration of how animal rights would work practically by addressing questions such as ‘which animals’ would receive rights and ‘which rights’ those would be. Students will be expected to complete a substantive paper on a course-related topic approved by the professor at the start of the semester. 

Aquatic Animal Law – Aquatic animals are often missing from the mainstream legal conversation. This course will delve into laws affecting the welfare of aquatic animals, whether found in the wild, consumed as food, or used for entertainment or research. The course briefly covers international law instruments and recent international developments geared towards or affecting aquatic animals. It will also examine how various U.S federal and state laws, as well as laws of certain jurisdictions outside the U.S, protect aquatic animals or fail to do so. Finally, students will examine contemporary issues pertaining to aquatic animals, such as debates around octopus farming, growth of finfish aquaculture and shark protection. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to think about how we can shape future laws and policies to better protect the interests of aquatic animals.

Industrial Animal Agriculture Law – Industrialized animal agriculture, also called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), has extensive impacts on animals, humans and the environment. This course examines the legal framework underlying the industrialized use of animals for food. Students will examine the conditions in which CAFO animals are raised, transported, and slaughtered. They will review EU directives and regulations covering the care and treatment of farmed animals, and compare those laws to U.S. federal and state laws and policies that impact farmed animal welfare. Students will also study how CAFOs impact the environment, communities in which CAFOs are built, workers, food safety and public health. Students will explore legal and policy issues related to the CAFO food production system, including the impact of state ballot initiatives and consumer campaigns, and they will report on developments occurring in the U.S., as well as countries outside the U.S.

International Animal Law – Broadly, this course interrogates animal law developments within and among states. Close attention is paid to the historical contexts, legal principles, economic calculations, cultural paradigms, health and environmental considerations, and moral concerns that inform how states and international organizations seek to regulate animals’ interests in the present day. Against this backdrop, students will scrutinize past, present, and proposed treaties and declarations, as well as other legal instruments that seek to advance the interests of animals. In doing so, students will be encouraged to consider pragmatic approaches to realizing more robust animal protections around the world.

Companion Animal Law – Studies estimate that more than half of people globally have at least one companion animal. This course provides an intensive examination of contemporary companion animal law and policy issues in the judicial and legislative arenas focusing on U.S. law, with consideration of the laws of other countries on a comparative basis. Together with the surge in the population of companion animals over the past thirty years, households with animals now commonly regard their companion animals as members of the human family. Yet, the law still typically categorizes companion animals as property. Moreover, the law’s treatment of companion animals tends to vary based upon the context in which humans interact with them, whether as family members, as entertainment, as research subjects, and more. This course introduces students to the diverse legal and policy issues that affect companion animals. Among the topics students will examine include: how the law defines which animals are classified as “companion animals”; anti-cruelty laws; the link between animal cruelty and domestic violence/intimate partner violence; tort laws relating to injury or death of a companion animal, including the measure of damages; government regulation of companion animals, including seizure and destruction; working companion animals; animal shelter law; custody disputes, estate planning and more. In doing so, this course explores the challenges and opportunities available to advocates interested in companion animal protection. 

Crimes Against Animals – Animals are susceptible to being involved in a wide range of criminal conduct. Animals may be stolen, passengers in vehicles involved in criminal activity, subjects of fraud, and so on in endless permutations. Most cases of this sort, however, do not constitute crimes against animals. Core to the concept of it even being possible for a crime to be committed against an animal is a recognition that certain criminal conduct victimizes animals. Crimes of this sort do not merely take place proximate to animals, but rather have such an impact on the animals in question that the act constitutes them as victims of the crime at hand. It is these sorts of criminal activities – those which victimize animals – that this course focuses upon.

As such, this course will explore which conduct towards animals is implicated by criminal law, why some of that conduct has been defined as constituting crimes committed against animals, how those laws function, and who the players involved in cases resulting from these crimes are. We will examine these laws – many of which are often referred to collectively as ‘animal protection laws’ or ‘statutes against cruelty’ – both in terms of their substance and and their practical application.

During this course, we will engage with perspectives hailing from across the criminal justice spectrum, including judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, victims’ rights attorneys, law enforcement agents, and political activists. Students can expect to largely focus on relevant jurisdictions within the USA (i.e. local; state; federal; tribal), with analogous laws from other countries brought in for purposes to facilitate both understanding of relevant domestic law, but also other fruitful approaches to addressing crimes against animals.

This course is suitable for any student interested in criminal law, animal law, and especially the juxtaposition of the two. This course is particularly relevant for students who have an interest in preventing or responding to crimes against animals, who anticipate representing parties in cases resulting from these crimes, or who work in an animal field.

Food Law – Food is something we all need to survive, but our relationship with food can be deeply personal. Politics, culture, family tradition, and religious beliefs can all impact how we interact with food every day, and can affect the decisions we make on purchasing, preparing, and consuming food. Additionally, food, especially when sourced from animal agriculture, has implications for animal welfare, public health and the environment. Understanding the policies and legal structure regulating food, therefore, is important for anyone interested in where food comes from, how it’s produced, how it’s processed, and how it’s sold or served. This survey course provides an examination of contemporary food law and policy and introduces students to a number of issues and concepts, such as the history of food laws in the US, food safety, labeling, animal farming practices, safeguarding farmed animals against diseases, food innovation in the alternative protein space, comparative international issues, and some of the broader contextual and policy challenges that warrant investigation. Food law is evolving rapidly, and although this course will introduce you to current laws and regulations, perhaps the more important conversations we will have will ask what the laws and regulations should be.

Global Wild Animal Law – This course focuses on the field of wildlife law in the context of the global extinction crisis, looking at the important relationship between international wildlife law and domestic implementation. The course takes a close practical look at a few relevant international treaties not comprehensively covered in this way in other courses and comparatively examines U.S. wildlife law and laws from States reflecting legal norms and principles that differ from the U.S. in order to understand barriers, tensions, and negotiated international outcomes. It also looks at a few of the legal tools available under U.S. law for addressing some of the most pressing international wildlife issues, further highlighting the importance of understanding wildlife protection as a matter of common international concern. Throughout the course, a practical approach is taken to understanding both the limits and potential of the law and care is taken to understand how wild animal advocates might move the needle toward greater protections.

The Law & Ethics of Animal Testing – Law & Ethics of Animal Testing explores the complex and oftentimes controversial regulatory and policy framework that governs the use of animals in scientific experiments in biomedical research and in toxicity testing. Students will learn first-hand about the latest regulatory and policy developments from experts who are at the forefront of this quickly evolving field. Whether you are new to the topic or a seasoned veteran, this dynamic and fast-paced course will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to become effective advocates, policy-makers, and analysts in this critically important area of law.

Nonprofit Animal Law – Nonprofit organizations carry out much of the animal law work in the U.S. and around the world. This course addresses the day-to-day legal challenges an animal nonprofit organization might face and provides a foundation for how to manage and navigate those challenges. Among other broader topics relevant to running a nonprofit organization, the course will focus on legal issues of particular interest to animal nonprofits, including: animal rescue and adoptions; care and transportation of live animals across state lines; compliance with veterinary laws; property issues regarding rescued animals; and lobbying around relevant legislation. The course will also address the value of engaging in animal advocacy litigation, and related obstacles, such as standing.

In addition, the course will provide an overview of some common issues nonprofits face, including: employee and volunteer conflicts; fundraising and relevant tax compliance; risk management considerations; the protection of intellectual property rights; as well as day-to-day challenges involving contracts, brand protection, and in-house litigation matters. While the course will emphasize nonprofit animal law in the U.S., it will also include discussion and assignments addressing the challenges of animal nonprofit organizations all over the world. Students will be encouraged to explore their home countries’ own nonprofit model through assignments and discussions.