Faculty & Staff

The Center for Animal Law Studies is headed by Pamela Frasch, Executive Director and the first and only Assistant Dean of an animal law program in the nation. Together with Clinical Professor Kathy Hessler and Assistant Director Laura Handzel, they devote themselves to expanding course offerings, running the clinic, and engaging in research and scholarship to further the field of animal law.

 

Pamela D. Frasch, J.D.

Assistant Dean, Animal Law Program &
Executive Director, Center for Animal Law Studies

Link to Faculty Page (Includes link to curriculum vitae)

Executive Director Pamela Frasch joins Lewis & Clark Law School from the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), a national non-profit animal protection law organization that seeks to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. In 1996, Ms. Frasch created the ALDF Criminal Justice Program which has since assisted law enforcement and animal advocates in investigating and prosecuting thousands of animal abuse and neglect cases nationwide.

In addition to her duties with the Center, Ms. Frasch is co-author of the premier American legal casebook in the field, Animal Law, Cases and Materials now in its fourth edition (Carolina Academic Press, 2011) and used in most animal law courses being taught in the United States. She is also co-author, with Professor Kathy Hessler, Sarah Kutil and Sonia Waisman, of Animal Law in a Nutshell (Thomson West, 2010). Ms. Frasch has taught survey and advanced courses in animal law at Lewis & Clark Law School since 1998.

Ms. Frasch is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer on issues of animal law and is the principal author of Oregon’s first felony anti-cruelty law. She has authored or co-authored many articles and book chapters in the field, and has been recognized by the Humane Society of the United States and the Oregon Humane Society for her contributions.

 

Kathy Hessler, J.D., LL.M.

Clinical Professor & Animal Law Clinic Director

Link to Faculty Page (Includes link to curriculum vitae)

Professor Kathy Hessler comes to the Center from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she both taught and served as Associate Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Conflict and Dispute Resolution. She was also a founding director of the Summer Legal Academy, a program of the Center for Social Justice designed to support the interest of minority high school students in the law. She taught in the Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic Center, and also taught courses on animal law, mediation, and focused problem solving.

Prior to teaching at Case, Professor Hessler taught in clinical programs at Cornell Law School, the University of Dayton Law School, and the Capital University School of Law. She has been an advisor to the Animal Law Review since 1998.

Professor Hessler has published:

• Where Do We Draw the Line Between Harassment and Free Speech? An Analysis of Hunter Harassment Law, 3 Animal Law Journal 129 (1997). CITED in People v. Sanders, 696 N.E.2d 1144, 1150 (Ill. S.Ct., 1998).
• Early Efforts to Suppress Protests: Unwanted Abolitionist Speech, 7 Boston University Public Interest Law Journal 185 (1998).
• Bridge of Hope, Journey to Justice: An Essay, Volume 3, Issue 1 Seattle Journal for Social Justice 429 (Fall/Winter 2004).
• Mediating Animal Law Matters, 2 Journal of Animal Law and Ethics 21 (2007).
• Ohio Non-violent Civil Disobedience Protest Manual, 1996, updated 2002, 2003.

Professor Hessler is also co-author, with Executive Director Pamela Frasch, of the forthcoming Animal Law in a Nutshell (Thomson West, 2010).

Professor Hessler received her B.A. in Sociology from George Washington University, her J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary, and her LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to focusing her career on becoming a law professor, Ms. Hessler practiced law with Northern Virginia Legal Services in their Fairfax Office.

 

Laura Handzel, J.D.

Assistant Director, Center for Animal Law Studies

Laura Handzel joined the Center for Animal Law Studies (the Center) as the first-ever Animal Law Program Assistant. Prior to that, Laura freelanced at various law firms in Tucson, Arizona, while also focusing much of her time on grassroots animal rescue, humane education & other animal advocacy work. As Assistant Director, she handles numerous elements of the Center’s premier program, including legal research and writing, finances, marketing, public relations, web design, program development, student advising, administering the National Animal Law Competitions and the Summer Intensive Animal Law Program, and the list goes on.

Laura earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, completing a Certificate of Special Training in Environmental Law & Policy Analysis. She is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Arizona, earning degrees in anthropology and french, plus a minor in sociology.  She was also fortunate to complete some of her studies at the University of Pau, France.

Laura grew up on a working farm in the Midwest and comes from a family of lawyers, fostering a passion for both environmental and animal law.  Within the field of animal law, she has special interests in farmed animals, wildlife, the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty, breed discrimination, social justice, as well as public health and policy issues.  Laura enjoys spending time outdoors, especially with friends and family, which include her four rescued companion animals.

 

Natasha Dolezal, J.D.

Director, Animal Law LL.M. Program

Natasha Dolezal joined us as the director of the first Animal Law LL.M. Program.  Most recently, she was the Associate Director for State Relations at Oregon Health & Science.  At OHSU, she was primarily an advocate for the university representing OHSU in front of multiple government entities, agencies and public officials.  Natasha worked closely with the university’s executive leadership, faculty, students and with donor and public policy committees on various health care, education and research issues.

Natasha began her legal career in the Oregon Legislature as a senator’s legislative assistant. In this capacity, she was instrumental in bringing the Senate Judiciary Committee to Lewis & Clark for a public hearing on various animal related legislation and successfully shepherding a bill recognizing the link between animal abuse and child abuse into law.  Natasha then transitioned to a position as a Deputy District Attorney, here in Multnomah County, where she gained invaluable experience prosecuting felony and misdemeanor crimes, including animal abuse cases.

Natasha received degrees in biology and psychology from Gonzaga University and her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School.  Prior to practicing law, Natasha focused her academic and employment pursuits on wildlife conservation on the large game reserves in Kenya, performing conservation genetics research on various species of birds and training, and caring for assistance dogs at a large nonprofit.