On this episode, I will be talking, once again, to Vanessa Shakib of the California law firm, Advancing Law for Animals. Vanessa is representing E.L., who, though you don’t know her by name, you have definitely heard about. She is the young girl whose beloved goat, Cedar, who started out as a 4H project, was brutally killed against E.L.’s wishes in what is perhaps the most outrageous behavior by law enforcement regarding an animal that we have seen in a long while. And that’s saying something. While, of course, this case, entitled E.L. v Fernandez, is in early stages, I really wanted to touch base with Vanessa to get up to speed on what really happened here and what we need to be aware of in keeping an eye on this very important, potentially groundbreaking litigation.

*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 Vanessa Shakib.

Vanessa Shakib is an expert in animal law, government accountability, and illegal business practices. Her work has been featured by CNN, Fox News, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, USA Today, the Guardian, Science Magazine, and more. Vanessa co-founded and co-directs Advancing Law for Animals, a non-profit law firm for our non-human friends. There, she develops impact litigation to further the interests of animals exploited in research and industrial food production. Vanessa is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School, and was awarded 2022-2023 SBA Adjunct Professor of the Year. She regularly presents talks as an invited expert in animal law both nationally and abroad. Prior to animal law, Vanessa specialized in illegal taxation, consumer protection, and inverse condemnation, among other practice areas. Her track record in government oversight informs her work at Advancing Law for Animals, where she has successfully challenged cruel and illegally-promulgated regulations at the federal level, and lack of animal-welfare enforcement at the local level. Vanessa continues to consult on a variety of legal matters through her private practice, Shakib Law, PC.

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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.

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.

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This episode of the Animal Law Podcast is sponsored in part by the Vermont Law & Graduate School’s Animal Law and Policy Institute.

Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Animal Law and Policy Institute trains tomorrow’s animal advocacy leaders to advance animals’ legal status through education, scholarship, policy development, community engagement, and litigation. Engaging with advocacy organizations, communities, journalists, and policymakers, the Institute serves as a resource hub for animal law and policy issues.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its thirteenth glorious year!

On this episode, I will be talking, once again, with Asher Smith, Director of Litigation at the PETA Foundation, about a recent victory in the 9th Circuit in Sullivan v The University of Washington. This case involves a crucially important aspect of the Animal Welfare Act – the IACUC, or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The Act provides, rather unfortunately, that a great deal of the oversight of research facilities regarding the care of animals is essentially self-enforced, but it at least contains certain requirements regarding the makeup of the committee that does that oversight in an effort to provide some unbiased review. This litigation is one aspect of a longstanding effort on PETA’s part to obtain the information the public needs and is entitled to in order to make sure that the statute’s provisions regarding the committee are being complied with by the University of Washington, where a great deal of controversial research takes place, including on primates.  

*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 Asher Smith.

Asher Smith is Director of Litigation at the PETA Foundation. His current cases include actions under the Endangered Species Act against roadside zoos abusively keeping protected animals, constitutional lawsuits on behalf of both animals and humans, and false advertising claims challenging the deceptive marketing of animal products as “humane.” He has previously won precedent-setting victories against multiple exhibitors featured on the Netflix show Tiger King, as well as against major research universities. Smith joined the PETA Foundation in 2018 after working for the law firm Paul, Weiss on matters including multibillion-dollar securities litigation and the fight for gay marriage in the deep south and at the Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Yale Law School. His family includes a cat, Princessa, and a dog, Beezus.

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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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

On today’s episode, I will be talking to Margie Robinson, an attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. Margie will be telling us about Humane Society of the United States v National Institutes of Health, the latest lawsuit in the years-long effort to relocate to sanctuary ALL the chimpanzees formerly held for research by the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies. 

It seems unbelievable that the NIH still retains some chimpanzees in a lab setting despite the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act being passed by Congress in 2000. The CHIMP Act sets forth rules establishing a federal sanctuary program funded in substantial part by the federal government and mandating that eligible chimpanzees be retired to those sanctuaries. But, even though the chimpanzees still held in laboratory settings are fully eligible under the Act to be sent to sanctuary, the NIH has yet to comply fully, so here we are. 

Sometimes –  all too often – getting a statute passed to protect animals is only the beginning of the legal effort. 

*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 Margie Robinson.

Margie Robinson is a staff attorney at the Humane Society of the United States and has taught an animal law seminar at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. Her current practice focuses on protecting wildlife both in the wild and in captivity, including countering cruel trophy hunting practices, advocating for former research chimpanzees, and defending fur sales bans.

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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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

On this episode, I will be talking to Taimie Bryant, a law professor at UCLA School of Law. She will explain some of the ins and outs of a law review article she recently published in the Marquette Law Review entitled “Novel Food Ingredients: Food Safety Law, Animal Testing, and Consumer Perspectives.” This article involves the question of what the FDA actually requires in order to authorize a new food product. Central to that question, as well as to a controversy about the development of Impossible Burgers, is whether animal testing is required in order to bring a new food to the market. And, even if it isn’t required, is it wise for companies to reduce their legal risks by performing such testing? This is an essential question, as we are seeing so many new vegan foods hit the market, and most of us are hoping for more. But will animals have to suffer and die for that to happen?

*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 Taimie Bryant.

In addition to her other areas of expertise, Taimie Bryant has taught courses on animal law at UCLA Law School since 1994 and directs both the UCLA Animal Law and Policy Small Grants Program and the UCLA Dog Administrative Hearings Clinic. She has worked on legislation involving animal shelter law reform, declawing of cats, and currently, prohibiting glue traps. She has also written widely about topics related to animal law, including legal personhood, vegan enterprises, regulation of genetic manipulation of animals as artistic expression, and, most recently, the lack of legal requirements to test novel food ingredients on animals. 

Resources:

• • Novel Food Ingredients: Food Safety Law, Animal Testing, and Consumer Perspectives
  • UCLA Animal Law and Policy Small Grants Program

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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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

Today I will be talking to Raffael Fasel and Sean Butler, who are the founders of the Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law at Cambridge University in the UK. They are doing something quite special — a series of workshops in various parts of the world seeking to help law professors and lawyers, and perhaps some others, develop courses at their universities to teach Animal Rights Law. The next workshop,  held in conjunction with Vermont Law School, will be located in Burlington, Vermont in May, 2023, and registration is still open for those who might be interested in attending. But even if that’s not possible for you, I think you will have a lot to learn from this interview about their vision of what Animal Rights Law could be, different approaches that various workshop participants are taking to the topic, and their thoughts about the role of the law in moving the world forward regarding the way animals are seen and treated.

*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 Raffael Fasel & Sean Butler.

Dr. Raffael Fasel is an Affiliated Lecturer at the Cambridge Law Faculty, a Visiting Scholar & Affiliate at the Center for Law and Philosophy, NYU School of Law, and a SNSF Senior Researcher at the University of Zurich. His main research areas are human and animal rights law and constitutional theory. Together with Dr Sean Butler he co-founded the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law.

Dr. Sean Butler is an Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge. His academic interests include law and life of Ancient Rome, and animal rights law. He is co-founder (with Dr Raffael Fasel) of the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law (https://animalrightslaw.org/).

Resources:

• • Our Hen House w/ Peter Alagona
  • Our Hen House w/ Nirva Patel
  • Our Hen House w/ Ryuji Chua
  • Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law
  • Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law on Instagram
  • Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law on Twitter
  • Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law on Facebook
  • Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law on LinkedIn

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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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

On this episode, I will be talking to Alene Anello, whose law firm, Legal Impact for Chickens, is pursuing a shareholder derivative case against Costco regarding the treatment of the poor little birds whose bodies end up being their extremely popular, and very cheap, rotisserie chickens. Essentially, in Smith v Vachris, currently pending in Superior Court in King County, Washington, Legal Impact for Chickens is suing Costco’s executives on behalf of two of its shareholders for violating their fiduciary duty to act lawfully by causing the company to neglect chickens. Neglecting animals, including chickens raised for food, is, as we all know, supposed to be against the law but is virtually never brought to court because prosecutors aren’t interested. Well, this case is aiming to do just that in an innovative way. If the last time you heard about shareholder derivative actions was in law school, don’t worry. Alene breaks it all down for us in this fascinating interview.

*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 Alene Anello.

Alene Anello founded Legal Impact for Chickens, a litigation nonprofit that fights factory-farm cruelty. Alene has degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She previously worked at PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the Good Food Institute.

Resources:

• • Our Hen House ep 671 w/ Altamush Saeed
  • Our Hen House ep 670 w/ Liz Ross
  • Our Hen House ep 669 w/ Karthik Sekar
  • Legal Impact for Chickens
  • Legal Impact for Chickens is hiring!
  • Legal Impact for Chickens on Twitter
  • Legal Impact for Chickens on Facebook
  • Legal Impact for Chickens on Instagram

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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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

On this episode I will be discussing a case that a lot of you have no doubt heard of, and that is National Pork Producers Council v Ross, which was recently argued in the Supreme Court. This case brings into question the constitutionality of Proposition 12, something else which many of you may be familiar with, by which California set certain limits on the sale of pork that is derived from pigs whose mothers were subjected to the particular torture of gestation crates – the very tiny metal enclosures where they are kept during their pregnancies. The thing that many of us may NOT be so familiar with is the constitutional issue at play here, that is, the application of the Dormant Commerce Clause. If that is, at best, a vague memory from law school, you have come to the right place. My guest today is Michael Dorf, who is a renowned expert in constitutional law and a vegan advocate for farmed animals everywhere. He is going to break down for us what the Dormant Commerce Clause is, why it’s dormant, and what the Justices of the Supreme Court seemed to be most interested in when they recently heard this case.

*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 Michael Dorf.

Michael C. Dorf is the Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, where he teaches constitutional law, federal courts, and related subjects. He has authored or co-authored six books (including, with Sherry Colb, Beating Hearts: Abortion and Animal Rights) and over one hundred scholarly articles and essays for law journals and peer-reviewed science and social science journals. His most recent work of scholarship (co-authored with Sherry Colb) is “If We Didn’t Eat Them, They Wouldn’t Exist”: The Nonidentity Problem’s Implications for Animals (Including Humans), in The American Journal of Law and Equality. He also frequently writes for the general public. In addition to occasional contributions to The New York Times, USA Today, CNN.com, The Los Angeles Times, and other wide-circulation publications, Professor Dorf has been writing a bi-weekly column since 2000 and publishes a popular blog, Dorf on Law. Dorf received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. He served as a law clerk for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court. He maintains an active pro bono practice mostly consisting of writing Supreme Court briefs.

Resources:

• • Speciesism: The Movie
  • Dorf on Law
  • Dorf on Law column: Animal Welfare Everywhere
  • Justices Ponder Implications of California’s Humane Welfare Standards for Pigs
  • SCOTUS Animal Welfare Case Could Implicate State Power to Ban Abortion Pills
  • 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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

On this episode, I will be discussing State of Utah v Hsiung, the case that has everyone in the movement talking. Wayne Hsiung and Jon Frohnmeyer will be here to discuss the prosecution of Wayne, along with his co-defendant Paul Picklesimer, for burglary and theft for entering a huge Smithfield factory farm in Utah and, while there, rescuing two sick piglets. The trial is set to begin in early October. Among other things, we will discuss whether, and how, the necessity defense exists in Utah and, if so, whether it applies to the right to rescue sick and dying animals, and whether, given their condition, these piglets could be said to have any monetary “value,” as required by the charges.

*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 Wayne Hsiung & Jon Frohnmayer.

Wayne Hsiung is a lawyer, former faculty member at Northwestern School of Law, former lead organizer of the global animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), and co-founder of The Sanctuary Initiative. He has led teams that have rescued dozens of animals from factory farms, and has organized successful campaigns to ban fur in San Francisco and California. He faces decades in prison for challenging so-called “ag gag” laws across the nation and removing animals from labs, slaughterhouses, and farms for veterinary care. His work as an open rescue activist has been reported on in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and ABC’s Nightline. Wayne published research (with Cass Sunstein) on climate change’s impact on wildlife, practiced law at two national firms, and had an active pro bono practice defending victims of domestic violence.

Jon Frohnmayer is an attorney and activist with Direct Action Everywhere. He graduated from Stanford University and the University of Oregon School of Law, where he was Editor in Chief of the Oregon Law Review and President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. He worked for several years doing transactional law before moving into animal rights.

Resources:

• • The Simple Heart: Wayne Hsiung’s blog
  • Everybody Wayne Hsiung Tonight podcast
  • Jon Frohnmayer on Twitter
  • DXE Right to Rescue petition
  • 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.

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.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

On this episode I will be discussing  Krasno v Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin, a crazy case involving comments made on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the University involving the dreadful research conducted on primates at the University and, in particular, at the infamous Harlow Center for Biological Psychology. Joining me will be both the plaintiff in this case, Madeline Krasno, a former employee at the Center, and her lawyer, Caitlin Foley, of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. They will be telling us about the extraordinary lengths the University has gone to eliminate Maddie’s comments about their animal research programs from their social media pages and why and how that implicates the First Amendment.

*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 Caitlin Foley & Maddie Krasno.

Maddie Krasno is a former primate lab worker turned activist. She has worked for numerous animal sanctuaries, a wildlife rehabilitation center, and advocacy groups. Maddie holds a master’s degree in Humane Education through the Institute for Humane Education and Valparaiso University and bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Child Development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Maddie was a student animal caretaker at UW-Madison’s Harlow Primate Research Laboratory from 2011-2013 during her undergraduate education. Maddie is currently a plaintiff in two free speech lawsuits related to animal testing against 1) The University of Wisconsin-Madison and 2) the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where she is represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Caitlin Foley is a staff attorney with Animal Legal Defense Fund. As a staff attorney, Caitlin focuses on a range of civil actions including challenges to unlawful agency actions that impact wild and farmed animals, and suits that seek to hold private actors accountable for their neglect of captive animals used for entertainment. Caitlin graduated in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2016 from the University of Chicago Law School. While earning a law degree, Caitlin also clerked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Prior to attending law school, Caitlin performed disaster relief work and garden-based education as an AmeriCorps volunteer for two years in New York City. Following this, Caitlin spent one year as a college counselor at a Brooklyn public school. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Caitlin enjoys reading books, running, and spending time with her daughter, husband and pit pull rescued companion Candy.

Resources:

• • OHH episode 657 w/ Christopher Soul Eubanks
  • OHH episode 656 w/ Dr Andrew Knight
  • OHH episode 655 w/ Mike Bronner & Gloria Pancrazi
  • North American Animal Law Conference
  • 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.

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.

Register now for The North American Animal Law Conference! Showcasing animal law scholarship, this event is taking place September 16th in Toronto.

Registration for the North American Animal Law Conference Scholars Track includes 2 days of the Canadian Animal Law Conference.

More information can be found at thebrooksinstitute.org/naalc-2022

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!

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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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast  directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its twelfth glorious year!