CALS Welcomes Aquatic Animal Law Initiative Fellow, Amy P. Wilson

The Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) is very pleased to announce that on August 1, 2019, Amy P. Wilson joined CALS as its second Aquatic Animal Law Initiative Fellow. Amy’s work with CALS’ Animal Law Clinic and Aquatic Animal Law Initiative will focus on the regulation and legal protection of aquatic animals under the guidance of Professor Kathy Hessler. We are looking forward to having Amy as part of the team for the next two years.  

Amy is an attorney and the first South African to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Animal Law (Lewis & Clark Law School class of 2018). She has been involved in animal protection for many years and is a dedicated activist on animal, human, and environmental matters. 

Amy received her BCOM and LLB Law Degrees from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. During her studies, she established the first animal law student group at her university and received a full scholarship to participate in the Lucerne Academy for Implementation of Human Rights (University of Lucerne in Switzerland’s Summer School). After completing her law degree, she practiced as a corporate attorney for over six years at the largest law firm in Africa and worked on animal law related matters on a pro bono basis including for game reserves and wildlife and animal protection organizations. 

She is Co-Founder and Director of Animal Law Reform South Africa – the first organization dedicated to animal law in South Africa. She is also a trustee of the Humane Education Trust. She also works with Ban Animal Trading (BAT) and regularly assists BAT and other organizations with legal and related matters. Within Africa, she is Director and Co-Founder of the Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organizations and Lawyers for Animal Protection in Africa. Amy has also worked with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, World Animal Protection and Animal Equality, researching and consulting on a broad variety of animal law and animal protection matters. 

Amy has been published in international Animal Law Journal, dA. Derecho Animal. Forum of Animal Law Studies and U.S. publication The Revelator (an initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity). She has presented on several animal law topics to audiences around the world including Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong), Poland (University of Silesia), Kenya (United Nations Environment), England (Oxford University – Oxford Center for Animal Ethics) and conferences in the USA and South Africa.

Amy is very excited to join the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative and expand protection for this often-excluded category of animals. She is also enthusiastic to continue her work, research, and education in her country and in Africa. Join CALS is welcoming Amy to its team!

For more information:

Amy P. Wilson
amypwilson@lclark.edu

or:

Kathy Hessler
khessler@lclark.edu