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    June 28, 2022

    From the IALC Co-chairs

    Daina Bray, Cailen LaBarge, and Joan Schaffner

    The Committee has continued to grow and thrive in 2022 thanks to the efforts of our members. Since January, the Committee has co-sponsored two impactful webinars. On March 17, Committee members Frances Arricale, Daina Bray, Jodi Medoff, Raj Reddy, and Susan Schwartz presented “How to get started in Animal Law.” This informative and inspirational panel provided insight into how attorneys can help change laws and policies to promote animals’ interests and have an impact on the lives of animals at any stage on their careers. The program was sponsored by the ABA International Law Section, Seasoned Lawyers Interest Network and co-sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division, Law Students’ Division, International Animal Law Committee, Young Lawyers Interest Network, Young Lawyers Action Group, and the Senior Lawyers Division International Law Committee. 

    On May 20, the Committee sponsored “Animal Legal Philosophy and Personhood.”  This program featured four leading animal philosophers, Carrie Freedman, Lori Gruen, Anthony Nocella, and Martha Nussbaum, with Raj Reddy as moderator. The panel explored a variety of perspectives on animal rights and its intersection with other movements. A huge thank you to Vice Chair Jane McElligott for helping to coordinate these educational programs.  

    On the publications front, the Committee published articles in the winter and spring issues of the International Law News.  The winter issue featured Áine Dillon’s article on the CDC’s ban of dogs from hundreds of countries, and the spring issue featured an article on live animal export by authors Daina Bray, Paula Cardoso, and Michael Swistara.  Congratulations to our members for their publications educating the Section on animal law and policy.

    Cailen LaBarge has been very active as our liaison to the IHRC Climate Change Working Group, as they work on a variety of projects focused on the rights of nature and the right to a healthy environment.  

    Further, our Wildlife Crime working group is drafting a resolution to propose a wildlife crime protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. If you are interested in these issues, please reach out and consider joining the working groups.

    On the communications front, a huge thank you to Jodi Medoff and Natassia Tuhovak for keeping our members and the public informed about international animal law news and programming.

    We hope that you will find this newsletter issue to be a valuable resource featuring articles on the role animal agriculture plays in fueling the climate crisis, the rights of nature, and the refugee status of nonhuman animals during the Ukrainian crisis. 

    In closing, we are honored to co-chair the IALC as we work within the ABA to raise the visibility of nonhuman animals and their plight under the law.  We encourage you to attend our monthly meetings and become active in our programming, publications, and policy work. Thank you for all that you are doing as lawyers to use the law to help animals and to build a community of animal lawyers around the world.  

    Follow us on Twitter (@ABA_IALC), Facebook, and LinkedIn for updates on events, publications, and international animal law news. Please share, comment, and invite others to follow us.

    Warm regards,

    Daina Bray, [email protected]
    Cailen LaBarge, [email protected]
    Joan Schaffner, [email protected]

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