Megan A. Senatori
Associate Director, Center for Animal Law Studies
Biography
Megan Senatori is the Associate Director of the Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS). She previously served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for CALS. Megan is a seasoned civil litigator, nonprofit leader, animal law professor, and frequent writer and speaker on animal protection issues.
Prior to joining CALS, Megan was a litigator in private practice for 17 years where she served as Litigation Practice Group Chair for five years for a 120 attorney law firm with litigators across three offices. Her practice included animal protection cases, primarily focusing on companion animal issues. Megan has taught animal law for over a decade, including co-teaching the first-ever animal law course at the University of Wisconsin Law School (in 2003), and the first-ever animal law course at Marquette University Law School (in 2005). She served as co-author of an amicus brief before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of a group of 43 law professors from across the country to argue in United States v. Stevens that preventing animal cruelty is a compelling governmental interest to be respected by the Court. She routinely presents to attorneys, veterinarians, humane officers and law enforcement regarding animal protection issues, including teaching a portion of the annual Wisconsin Humane Officer Certification Program for the State of Wisconsin for more than a decade.
Megan also has significant experience regarding the link between animal cruelty and human violence. In 2001, she co-founded Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims (SAAV) an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that recognizes animals as vital family members and arranges for their safe harbor when a domestic abuse victim seeks refuge from an abuser. She continues to serve as President and oversees services. Megan has been featured for her work on the link in O Magazine and a variety of other publications.
Specialty Areas and Course Descriptions
Companion Animal Law and Policy
The Link Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence
Academic Credentials
- JD, University of Wisconsin Law School, cum laude
- BA, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Bibliography
- The Second Revolution: The Diverging Paths Of Animal Activism and Environmental Law (published in the Wisconsin Environmental Law Journal and re-published in Environmental Ethics and the Law);
- The Future Of Animal Law: Moving Beyond Preaching To The Choir (published in the Journal of Legal Education and re-published in other languages, co-authored with CALS Co-Founder, Professor Pamela Frasch).