The Mother of Animal Law Prepares for Her Next Chapter: Joyce Tischler Announces Her Retirement

After nearly five decades of trailblazing advocacy and scholarship, including the last seven years as a Professor of Practice at the Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) at Lewis & Clark Law School, Joyce Tischler has announced her retirement, effective June 30, 2026.

Affectionately known as the “Mother of Animal Law,” Tischler is widely recognized by the animal law community for her pivotal role in transforming a virtually nonexistent field into a global movement. Reflecting on her decision to retire, Tischler shared that she is profoundly proud to have concluded her full-time teaching career at the foremost animal law educational center in the world. “I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching the students at Lewis & Clark, as well as working with the faculty and staff,” she said. “I know our students remain in excellent hands, and that they will go on to do great things for the animals.”

Paving the Way

Long before animal law was recognized as a legitimate field of study, Tischler was building its foundation. She earned her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1977, after completing her bachelor’s degree in political science at City University of New York, Queens College.

In 1979, she made history by co-founding the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the first nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting nonhuman animals through the legal system. As ALDF’s executive director for 25 years and later its general counsel, Tischler conceived of and litigated cutting-edge cases that challenged a legal system that routinely ignored animal interests. Her tenacity and vision charted a path where none existed. This rich experience is detailed in her definitive two-part article, “A Brief History of Animal Law,” published in the Stanford Journal of Animal Law and Policy.

“When I was in law school, there were very few animal law offerings, and Joyce’s career and passion offered inspiration to budding animal lawyers like me that the field could grow,” reflected Pam Byce, Associate Dean of the Animal Law Program at CALS. “It was like a dream come true when I then got to work with Joyce at ALDF, and she took me under her wing and invested in my success, and that of so many other women lawyers. More than 20 years later, Joyce continues to inspire me as my mentor, colleague at CALS, and friend. The world is a better place because of Joyce Tischler.”

Growing with Lewis & Clark

While Tischler joined CALS full-time as a Professor of Practice in May 2019, her dedication to developing animal law at Lewis & Clark Law School spans decades. In fact, she was a vital supporter of the school’s animal law community long before CALS was officially founded.

In 1994, when Lewis & Clark law students took the ambitious step to launch the Animal Law Review (ALR), Tischler stepped forward to support them. As executive director of ALDF, she committed the funding necessary to cover printing and mailing costs for years. Under her stewardship, ALDF also funded the Lewis & Clark Student Chapter of ALDF (the nation’s first student chapter, founded in 1993) and supported student travel to the annual Animal Law Conference and the National Animal Law Competition Moot Court, where she spent several years serving as a distinguished judge.

In 2008, she was instrumental in CALS’ founding at Lewis & Clark Law School, navigating a strategic planning and funding collaboration between ALDF and the law school. By 2011, she officially stepped into the classroom as a member of the adjunct faculty, setting the stage for her later full-time tenure. CALS Founder Pamela Frasch, Professor of Law and Brooks McCormick Jr. Scholar of Animal Law and Policy, shared: “When I think about what Joyce has meant to this institution, and to me personally, the word that comes to mind is irreplaceable. She saw the future of animal law long before the rest of us did, and she spent her career making that future real. Her vision was foundational to CALS, which is the first animal law program of its kind in the world. What followed was decades of mentorship, rigor, and genuine inspiration for every student fortunate enough to learn from her. She began this work in the late 1970s, long before it was fashionable, and she leaves it immeasurably further along. We are richer for every year she spent with us. I will miss her enormously.”

Building and Mentoring the Next Generation of Advocates

As a Professor at Lewis & Clark, Tischler brought her real-world experience to the classroom every day. She developed and taught cornerstone courses, including Animal Law Fundamentals and Industrial Animal Agriculture Law, a unique offering that Lewis & Clark Law School continues to provide both in-person and online. More recently, she served as the Co-Director of the Animal Law Clinic this past academic year, pursuing cutting-edge projects like drafting the nation’s first law, recently passed in Colorado, that codifies the human-animal bond as a social determinant of health.

She passionately shared the law in action with students, helping them understand not just what the law is, but how it can be shaped and expanded to advance legal protections for animals. A favorite aspect of her courses was inviting students to share weekly reports about “animal law in the news” to demonstrate the field’s real-world impact and rapid evolution. Joyce was equally energized by learning from her students, especially international students navigating countries where the field of animal law is still nascent or nonexistent. She inspired students to dream big, just as she did as a young lawyer founding the field at a time when considering the legal interests of animals was dismissed by the mainstream.

As the Faculty Advisor for the Lewis & Clark Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and throughout her career, she mentored countless aspiring animal lawyers, offering guidance that extended far beyond the Pacific Northwest. “The light Joyce cast on all of us who have been lucky enough to learn from her expands infinitely,” reflected Priscilla Rader Culp (16 ‘JD), a Lewis & Clark Law School alum. “I speak of Joyce quite often to students I now mentor as a showcase for how empathy, strategy, vision, and legal cleverness can come together to make change beyond even our own wild imaginations some days.”

Tischler is beloved not only by students but also by her colleagues. “Joyce’s steady presence, constant encouragement, and fierce sense of humor bring so much joy to the hard, deeply emotional work of animal law,” shared Megan Senatori, CALS Executive Director. “She has her unique Joyce-style in all things. Whether she is brightening our days by gifting each of us on the CALS team with a little acrylic crocheted animal (mine is a cherished frog who sits on my desk) or gently reminding us all to breathe, she genuinely cares for those around her. She’s been a pillar of our team. We all absolutely adore her.”

A Scholar and Leader

Beyond Lewis & Clark, Tischler remains a nationally and internationally recognized authority on animal law. Prior to teaching at Lewis & Clark Law School, she also lectured at law schools across the country, and taught as adjunct faculty at the University of California, Davis School of Law, John Marshall Law School, and John F. Kennedy Law School. She has spent her career sharing her expertise on animal protection and farmed animals, presenting to audiences in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the UK, Belgium, Mexico, Kenya, Spain, Finland, China, and beyond.

Her prolific career has earned her the highest honors in the field. Most recently, she received the 2025 Excellence in Animal Law Award (Scholarship, Teaching and Service) from the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Animal Law. Her extensive list of accolades also includes the International Society for Animal Rights Award; the Center for Animal Law Studies Animal Law Achievement Award (2019); the Mother of Animal Law Award, presented at the 25th anniversary of the Animal Law Conference (2017); the Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award from the American Bar Association Trial, Tort and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Animal Law Committee (2009); and the Woman of the Year Award from the Animal Protection Institute of America (1981).

A noted author on animal law, Tischler has published widely and continues to contribute to the field. She is currently co-authoring a first-of-its-kind casebook, Industrialized Animal Agriculture Law and Policy, which will offer a comprehensive overview of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and their intersectional impacts on animal welfare, the environment, worker justice, and social equity.

The Next Chapter

As Joyce steps into this well-deserved next stage, she looks forward to spending more time with her daughter, Margeve, and their beloved entourage of animal companions, including dogs, cats, and, of course, chickens (Joyce and a dedicated group of Lewis & Clark students were among those who rescued the girls from a defunct organic egg production factory, giving them a grand new life with the Mother of Animal Law).

We will be celebrating Joyce and her monumental legacy in the fall, with more details to come. In the meantime, you can send a message to Joyce for nearly 50 years of visionary, compassionate dedication to animal legal protection by sharing a personal note of appreciation via our Google Form. You can also honor Joyce by making a donation to CALS with the designation that you are donating in Joyce Tischler’s honor. Donations will be used to support the next generation of animal law advocates.

The Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) was founded in 2008 with a mission to educate the next generation of animal law advocates and advance animal protection through the law. With vision and bold risk-taking, CALS has since developed into a world-renowned animal law epicenter. CALS’ Alumni-in-Action from 30+ countries are making a difference for animals around the world. The advanced degree program is offered in-person and online. CALS is a self-funded Center within the law school operating under the Lewis & Clark College 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and is able to provide these educational opportunities through donations and grants.