October 13, 2017

2017 Animal Law Conference – A Huge Success!

October 13th, 14th, and 15th students, lawyers, and advocates gathered at the annual Animal Law Conference held in Portland, Oregon. The night opened with Joyce Tischler and Dean Pamela Frasch marking the 25th anniversary of the conference by taking a walk down memory lane. SALDF’s co-directors, Maral Cavner and Ashlyn Whitbeck, introduced the pair and Maral perfectly captured the importance of Joyce’s role in the animal law movement by thanking her and reminding her that she “opened the door for us, and we promise to make (her) proud while walking through it.” Joyce, who is referred to as the mother of Animal Law, was then awarded the official title as recognition for her pioneering work.

October 13th, 14th, and 15th students, lawyers, and advocates gathered at the annual Animal Law Conference held in Portland, Oregon. The night opened with Joyce Tischler and Dean Pamela Frasch marking the 25th anniversary of the conference by taking a walk down memory lane. SALDF’s co-directors, Maral Cavner and Ashlyn Whitbeck, introduced the pair and Maral perfectly captured the importance of Joyce’s role in the animal law movement by thanking her and reminding her that she “opened the door for us, and we promise to make (her) proud while walking through it.” Joyce, who is referred to as the mother of Animal Law, was then awarded the official title as recognition for her pioneering work.

The rest of the weekend was filled with panels including “Swimming Upstream: The Emergence of Aquatic Animal Law,” “Animal Law Meets World: The Global Expansion of Animal Law,” and “Not Your Average Factory Farmed Animal Panel: Fixing a Fouled-Up System.” Speakers included Jennifer Fearing from Fearless Advocacy, Ed Stewart from the Preforming Animal Welfare Society, and our own Professor Kathy Hessler, Professor Natasha Dolezal, and Professor Russ Mead. Student volunteers assisted throughout the weekend with registration, time-keeping, and even picking up 35 dozen Voodoo Donuts. Many SALDF members were in attendance and some also participated in ALDF’s first student convention on Friday.

Students had the opportunity to network with attorneys and learn from experts presenting on numerous topics within the animal law field. It was an honor to attend the 25th Anniversary of this conference and it was exciting to be in the same space with many of the people that have been in the field for those 25 years and beyond. Us almost lawyers surely found inspiration in their accomplishments and advice. We are already excited for next year’s conference and are looking forward to the victories for animals that will occur between now and then. 

Our chapter would like to thank our Pro Bono Chair, Megan Amos, for her membership on the Animal Law Conference planning committee and her hard work in creating a wonderful Conference experience for all involved.