Legal News and Views - Asia Pacific and Beyond

Winter Newsletter Updates

We hope that your 2026 is off to a good start. The spring semester is officially in full swing at Lewis & Clark Law School, and our students have hit the ground running. From rigorous clinical work to hosting vibrant animal law events, their dedication to the field continues to inspire us. We’re delighted to share highlights including: recognizing our most recent animal law graduates; a look at what’s happening in our spring classrooms and clinics; and a calendar of upcoming events you won’t want to miss.

As always, we are grateful to all of you who share our passion for developing future leaders who will advance animal protection around the world.

For the animals,

Pamela D. Byce
Associate Dean
Animal Law Program
Center for Animal Law Studies

 
SAVE THE DATE | JUNE 5
International Aquaculture Law & Policy Symposium
We’re excited to announce the Center for Animal Law Studies’ (CALS) inaugural International Aquaculture Law & Policy Symposium, taking place on June 5, 2026 at the University of Birmingham, England. This one-day, in-person event is being held in collaboration with co-hosts Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) and the Multispecies Collective. The Symposium is a global event that will bring together experts, scholars, and practitioners to discuss key issues and emerging trends in the rapidly evolving field of industrial animal aquaculture law and policy. Full details regarding the schedule, speakers, and registration will be coming soon! Learn more about the event here.
Congratulations Graduates
Please join us in congratulating the online advanced degree animal law students who completed their studies in December and have earned their Animal Law LLM or MSL.

  • Catherine Conte (LLM)
  • Kathleen Drescher (MSL)
  • Kristen Garabedien (MSL)
  • Vivian Gonzalez (LLM)
  • Anthony Irsuto (LLM)
  • Caiti Klassovity (MSL)
  • Sarah Mansfield (MSL)
  • Alexander Noronha (LLM)
  • Leslie Santos (MSL)
  • Laurisa Schutt (MSL); and
  • Conley Wouters (LLM)

We cannot wait to see all that they will accomplish for animals!  Graduation will be celebrated on May 16, 2026 at the Law School Commencement.
Animal Law Coursework | Spring Semester
We kicked off the spring semester on January 8th. Students this semester are enjoying the following diverse roster of animal law courses:
Animal Law Clinic | Update
Animal Law Clinic students are engaged in projects designed to enhance their practice skills while also advancing animal protection, including:

  • Developing a bill that is currently progressing through the Colorado state legislature to formally recognize the human-animal bond as a social determinant of health, which would enable the state to direct funds to support people and their companion animals;
  • Assisting the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Criminal Justice Program with its Crime Data Project, which promises to be a compelling resource for animal advocates for years to come;
  • Exploring how hormonal implants could be legally used to enable hens in sanctuaries to cease egg production in order to improve their health and lengthen their lives; and
  • Developing materials that can be used to support efforts to ban octopus farming.
Farmed Animal Protection Project | Update
The Farmed Animal Protection Project enables students to advance their skills while contributing directly to farmed animal advocacy. Student work this semester includes:

  • Conducting legal research on the use of eco- and welfare claims on farmed aquatic animal product labels and examining the harmful impacts of industrial aquaculture;
  • Engaging with regulatory agencies to protect all farmed animals – terrestrial and aquatic – by drafting petitions for rulemaking and submitting Freedom of Information Act requests;
  • Designing continuing legal education seminars and law school curricula on farmed animal protection in East Africa; and
  • Researching how shareholders can hold companies accountable for farmed animal cruelty and neglect.

We were also delighted to recently feature 2024-25 Project students in a webinar about the release of a new, first-of-its-kind report examining how litigation is being used to challenge the rapid expansion of industrial animal agriculture in Brazil, India, Mexico, and Zimbabwe. Watch the webinar here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark your calendars for the many upcoming events this spring!
Animal Law Review Symposium | March 6th

This year’s Animal Law Review Symposium invites advocates and attorneys to challenge corporate practices that treat the exploitation of non-human animals as a necessary cost of doing business. The program explores how consumer protection law, securities regulation, and corporate governance can be used to hold corporations accountable for misleading labels, deceptive disclosures, and harmful supply-chain practices. This Symposium is a hybrid event open to all in-person and virtual advocates interested in non-human animal protection. General CLE Credit will be available, pending approval. For the full schedule, event details, and registration download the flyer or visit this link.
Animal Law Week | March 9-13th

The Lewis & Clark Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter has an impressive roster of events lined up for Lewis & Clark’s annual Animal Law Week! Being held this year March 9-13th, students will raise awareness and celebrate all things animal law. Join CALS on Monday, March 9th, as we host Lucy’s Project, an Australian nonprofit, to discuss findings and recommendations of the National Roundtable on Domestic and Family Violence Perpetrated against People and Animals. Check out the full Animal Law Week schedule and register to join us here.
Day of Giving | March 10-12

Lewis & Clark’s annual Day of Giving is fast approaching, and we’re delighted that this year it happens to fall during our annual Animal Law Week! From March 10-12, 2026, we invite you to join our incredible community across the school and around the world to create a better future for animals. This year, we’re encouraging donations in honor of a beloved animal in your life. Every gift directly supports CALS, including scholarships and experiential learning opportunities, giving our students the tools they need to secure better legal protections for animals. Let’s turn our appreciation for the animals we love into meaningful, real-world change.
Animal Law Conference Call for Proposals | March 15

Do you have an awesome idea for an Animal Law Conference panel? Together with our co-presenters, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, we are seeking proposals for speakers for the 2026 and 2027 conferences. We invite proposals for individual presentations that appeal to law students, legal professionals, legal scholars, and general animal advocates. Calls for Proposals are due by March 15th.  For submission guidelines and to apply, visit this link.
Comparative Animal Law Symposium | March 17-18

The 4th annual Comparative Animal Law Symposium is being held virtually on March 17-18, 2026. In addition to presentations by early-career scholars from around the world, the event will feature a keynote presentation on March 17th by Geoffrey Samuel, Professor Emeritus, Kent Law School (United Kingdom), and a roundtable discussion on March 18th on Strategic Litigation Against Global Industrial Animal Agriculture. Check out the full schedule and register to join CALS and our co-hosts here.
Join the Next Generation
Apply Now for Fall 2026 | April 1 Priority Application Deadline
We’re accepting applications for admission for Animal Law LLM (for lawyers) and MSL (for non-lawyers) students to start fall of 2026 for study in our in-person or online advanced degree program. All applicants are automatically considered for full or partial scholarship support. To be considered for full scholarship support, applications must be submitted by April 1, 2026.

To learn more about our advanced degree programs and to apply, visit our website.
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