It’s become pretty clear that the more that meat-eating consumers find out about how the animals they eat were treated, the more temptation there is for the industry to, shall we say, fudge the truth. Thus, today I will be talking to Dije Ndreu and Brooke Dekolf of Richman Law and Policy about two cases they are currently litigating regarding the “sustainability” claims being made by Aldi Grocery Stores regarding the salmon Aldi sells in its stores. These cases are based on some compelling evidence that what Aldi means when it says “sustainable” isn’t remotely similar to the expansive meaning that most people give it. Dije and Brooke will also explain why there are two cases — one in federal court in Illinois and one in Superior Court of the District of Columbia —, why the conditions in which these salmon live and die are so dreadful both for the environment and for the salmon themselves, what the prospects are for attorney’s fees, and how consumer protection law is becoming such an important tool for those seeking to use the law to address what we are doing to animals, including aquatic ones.

*We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read Mariann’s interview with Dije Ndreu & Brooke Dekolf.

Dije Ndreu recently joined Richman Law & Policy as Senior Associate. Her work focuses on protecting consumers from false advertising related to animal welfare. Before joining RLP, Dije served for more than a decade as a consumer and environmental protection prosecutor in the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office in California. There she brought civil unfair competition cases against violators ranging from small local entities to large national corporations. She prosecuted greenwashing and other false advertising actions and handled hazardous waste, water pollution, asbestos, pesticide exposure, and other environmental cases. Prior to her career in law, Dije worked as a chemist and environmental manager, specializing in water quality. Dije received her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in 2007, and also has B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry from U.C. Santa Cruz and U.C. San Diego, respectively. Vegan since 2005, Dije lives with her husband, two children, and two cats.

Brooke Dekolf is an Associate and Animal Welfare Fellow at Richman Law & Policy. She focuses on animal welfare litigation with a particular emphasis on accountability and transparency in aquaculture. Previously, she was a fellow for the Law, Ethics & Animals Program, served as a director for the 2020 Rebellious Lawyering Conference, and worked as an intern for Legal Services of New Jersey and the American Civil Libertes Union Reproductive Freedom Project. Brooke received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2021, and a B.A. in English and Women’s and Gender Studies from Rutgers University in 2017. During her free time, she enjoys walking New York City with her dog, Saint.

Resources:

• • Our Hen House ep 654 w/ Jack Lekishon
  • Our Hen House ep 650 w/ Zach Sherwin
  • Our Hen House ep 653 w/ Monica Engebretson
  • University of Denver job listings
  • The Brooks Institute Animal Law Fundamentals
  • The Animal Law Conference

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This episode of The Animal Law Podcast is brought to you in part by The Animal Law Conference. Co-hosted by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis and Clark Law School — this year’s conference marks the thirtieth anniversary of this premier animal law event. Save the date for November 4-6, 2022!

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The Animal Law Podcast is proud to partner with The Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy, Inc., a US-based national independent think tank pursuing a paradigm shift in human responsibility towards, and value of, non-human animals by advancing animal law, animal policy, and related interdisciplinary studies.

As the Animal Law Podcast 2021 Exclusive Sponsor, the The Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy, Inc is dedicated to producing and disseminating outstanding, independent, academic, and public policy research and programming; and pursuing projects and initiatives focused on advancing law and policy pertaining to animals.

The Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy is excited to share a new FREE resource:  The Brooks Animal Law Digest – CANADA EDITION! This premier online publication offers in-depth and up-to-date coverage on Canada’s most important animal law and policy issues. It is published twice monthly as a collaborative effort with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law’s research support.

Like the Brooks Animal Law Digest – US Edition, the Canadian Digest serves as a resource for anyone interested in learning more about the field of animal law – either as a high-level overview of developments, or as a jumping off point for digging into a specific current issue in the field. All content will be accessible on the Brooks Institute website and spotlights via email twice monthly.

Click here to subscribe to the free Brooks Animal Law Digest – CANADA EDITION.

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