Center for Animal Law Studies receives international award

The Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School is the first recipient of the international “TIR Animal Law Award” for outstanding achievements in the field of animal law. The award is granted by Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR), the Swiss-based Foundation for Animals in the Law, Europe’s only animal welfare organization strictly focused on the legal system. The TIR award is meant to honor individuals or institutions for their outstanding achievements in the field of animal law. On March 15, TIR formally presented the international TIR Animal Law Award at its 20th anniversary celebration held in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) at Lewis & Clark Law School is internationally renowned as the world’s epicenter for animal law whose mission is to educate the next generation of animal law attorneys. CALS offers students and practitioners almost unlimited possibilities for education or further training in animal law. With its wide range of courses, CALS has achieved pioneering developments in the field and has therefore gained significance far beyond the U.S., becoming the foremost leader and international role model in animal law education, scholarship, and advocacy.

Dr. Gieri Bolliger, executive director of TIR presented the award saying, “Animal law is really booming in the United States and is deemed one of the most thriving legal disciplines. This boom is especially due to the work of one institution, which is indisputably a pioneer as well as an absolute leader in terms of animal law education: The Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. Lewis & Clark Law School has successfully been teaching animal law since 1992, but it was in 2008 that the cornerstone was laid for an advance into a fully new dimension. It was the year Professor and Executive Director of CALS Pamela D. Frasch founded CALS with great vision and idealism.”

Professor Frasch, Executive Director of CALS, accepted the award in person accompanied by Clinical Professor Kathy Hessler. “There is much to celebrate today, but we also remember that there is still much work to be done to help animals,” said Frasch. “Those of us who work in the field feel a tremendous obligation to educate and train the next generation of advocates, and we feel very fortunate at CALS to have that as our core mission. We also feel very fortunate to have worked closely with TIR, and in particular with Dr. Bolliger. TIR is highly respected in the United States, and we look with great appreciation and admiration at the extraordinary work you have accomplished.”