Animal Law Section

Animal law has quickly emerged as a specialty legal field in law schools (Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, Hastings, Rutgers, and the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College, which publishes the Animal Law Journal). Animal-centered litigation appears more routinely on court dockets as pet owners sue to recover damages. Nationwide, legislatures debate the passage of bills addressing issues at the boundaries of human-animal relationships. In 2010, Carolina Academic Press published the fourth edition of a 780-page volume on animal law, the first casebook of its kind.

Animal law has useful applications for practitioners in many areas including landlord-tenant, criminal, wills and trusts, personal injury and tort claims, nonprofit organizations, agricultural, local government, and administrative law.

In addition to providing a forum for members to exchange ideas, study, and understand laws, regulations, and case law pertaining to all areas of animal law, initial goals of the Animal Law Section include:

• Establishing an annual seminar and eventually a multistate MCLE animal law institute
• Publishing an Animal Law Reporter for the Pacific Northwest or nationwide
• Printing and distributing quarterly email or paper newsletters to section members, soliciting articles from practitioners, academics, and others
• Producing animal law-related pamphlets for the public
• Providing information to and facilitate cooperation with government agencies and nongovernmental humane societies, rescue organizations, and animal sanctuaries
• Organizing brown-bag lunches and round tables to address animal law matters in a short time frame.

Annual Report  |  Budget  |   Bylaws  |  Year in Review  |  Elections

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The Animal Law Section offers many resources and benefits for members. Click the following links to learn more.

Upcoming Programs

Application Portal for Executive Committee Elections Open!

Election season is here! If you are interested in applying to serve on your section's executive committee, head over to the Animal Law Section Election Page to see a list of open positions and how to apply.

If you have any questions, please email sections@wsba.org.

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Executive Committee

Please contact subcommittee members for details on their upcoming meeting dates and locations.

For general questions, or to request archived issues of the section newsletter, please send your inquiry to sections@wsba.org. To get involved and learn more about the Animal Law Section, please contact the section chair, Leila Arefi-Pour.