March 12, 2021

2021: At the Crossroads: Fighting for Change in an Interconnected World

The 2021 Symposium addressed the interconnected nature of animal law and how our movement can partner with other social justice movement to achieve greater equity for all. 

2021: At the Crossroads: Fighting for Change in an Interconnected World

The 2021 symposium was the first-ever 100% virtual and recorded event. Click on the event’s title to be linked to the video. Thank you to the Lewis & Clark chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund for co-hosting this event with us!

Kathy Hessler & Cami Hoffman, Recognizing & Addressing Burnout

  • Awareness is the genesis of change, so come learn how to recognize and address the warning signs of burnout and fatigue. We will also be learning how animals can help us reconnect with our intuition and fuel our paths toward a more personal and sustainable sense of justice. Originally recorded January 27, 2021.

lauren Ornelas, Food Justice: Breaking Interconnected Systems of Oppression

  • In this event, sponsored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and co-sponsored by Lewis & Clark Law School’s Food & Agriculture Law Society, lauren Ornelas of the Food Empowerment Project will examine various interconnected abuses in our food system, including non-human animal exploitation, farm worker injustices, slavery, environmental racism, and lack of access to healthy foods in Black and Brown communities and low-income areas. Originally recorded February 10, 2021. 

Randall Abate, Animal Law and Environmental Law: Parallels and Synergies

  • Professor Abate will draw on lessons from history, politics, and law to illustrate how animal law can learn from environmental law and how the two fields can work together to secure mutual gains. Originally recorded March 3, 2021.

Brittany Hill, Kathleen Wood, & Lavita Nadkarni, Psychology and Law in the Assessment and Treatment of Animal Maltreatment

  • Despite growing awareness that animal maltreatment is often a sign of deviant behavior and frequently linked to other forms of interpersonal violence, attorneys and mental health professionals may find themselves lacking practical guidance in these cases. During this session, presenters will trace the steps involved in animal maltreatment cases from investigation, assessment, adjudication, and treatment, focusing on the roles of mental health professionals and attorneys at each stage of the process. Key themes include increasing awareness of the range of options for assessment and treatment, including collaboration between attorneys and mental health professionals, and acknowledging that effective interventions should not take a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Originally recorded March 11, 2021.

pattrice jones, Queering Animal Liberation

  • Writer, educator, and activist pattrice jones will analyze the connections between queer rights, feminism, and animal liberation. Originally recorded March 17, 2021.

Dr. Aysha Akhtar, Why We Need to Replace Animal Testing and How to Do It

  • In this presentation, co-sponsored by Lewis & Clark Law School’s Health Law Society, Dr. Aysha Akhtar will explore the ways in which animal testing harms humans, the barriers to systemically shifting away from animal models, and possible solutions moving forward. Originally recorded March 31, 2021.

Michelle Rojas-Soto, Creating Racial Equity Action Plans in Animal Advocacy

  • In this interactive workshop, co-sponsored by Lewis & Clark Law School’s Minority Law Student Association, participants will be introduced to best practices in creating racial equity action plans that lead to sustainable, meaningful, and measurable improvements for internal and external stakeholders of the global majority. Michelle Rojas-Soto will use a Results-Based Accountability framework to focus on specific actions, indicators and outcomes to eliminate racial disparities and strengthen our animal advocacy. Originally recorded April 7, 2021.