20th Annual

Animal Law Conference

at Lewis & Clark
October 19 - 21, 2012

 

Celebrating 20 Years of Animal Law:

Looking Back and Looking Forward

 

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20th Annual Conference Theme & Overview

Coming soon!  Please check back in a few weeks.

Registration is scheduled to open June 1, 2012.  More information to come!

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Conference Mission Statement

The mission of the conference is to enrich legal advocacy for animals through sharing ideas, knowledge, and practical skills, as well as providing educational and networking opportunities.

History of the Conference

The Animal Law Conference at Lewis & Clark was the first academic conference to address the subject of animal law. In 1993, a small contingent of Lewis & Clark law students interested in animal welfare established the conference, a one-day symposium addressing wildlife issues. The event was successful, and members of L&C’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) chapter made the conference an annual event. Over the years, the conference continued to grow in size and popularity with the support and shared vision of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. In 2008, the conference became a joint venture between the Lewis & Clark SALDF chapter and the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark, in collaboration with the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Today, the conference has become one of the largest and most popular of its kind, featuring some of the most respected voices in the field of animal law.

Representative Feedback

• “Finally, a conference that lives up to its philosophy!”
• “Best conference I have ever attended - you need more.”
• “The panelists were wonderful and the cost for students was reasonable.” 
• “Thanks so much for a wonderful weekend! I had a blast - it was well put together, planned, and went incredibly smoothly. Great job!”

2011 Conference Recap

Dr. Bernard E. Rollin, university distinguished professor at Colorado State University, and Joyce Tischler, founder and general counsel of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, delivered two special keynote addresses. An exciting list of presenters joined our keynote speakers, 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; and Will Travers, CEO of Born Free Foundation, among many other animal law experts.

Several timely topics were explored, including:

         • Current animal law litigation and legislation

         • The nuts and bolts of building an animal cruelty case

         • Using a law degree to help sanctuaries and shelters

         • Popular trends in companion animal ownership and the consequences

         • International voices and issues in animal law

         • Wolf protection and exotic animal issues

         • Developing new legal theories to help animals, and

         • Ethical issues surrounding animal-based cultural traditions

Law students attended the conference’s 3rd Annual Law Student Breakfast, which brought together law students from across the country (and even some international locations!) to share ideas and resources. We also offered an MCLE Ethics Breakfast for Lawyers, led by Professor Steve Johansen of Lewis & Clark Law School and Russ Mead of Animal Law Coalition.

Past Conferences