Agenda
Virtual Animal Law Conference Agenda
9:30 – 10:45 a.m. PT/12:30 – 1:45 p.m. ET
Animals in a Changing Climate: Science, Ethics, and Policy
Dr. Lisa Benjamin, Assistant Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School
Dr. Rod Bennison, Independent Scholar; Chair and Founder, Minding Animals International Inc.
Jeff Sebo, Clinical Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies; Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, and Philosophy; Director of the Animal Studies M.A. Program, New York University
Moderator: Delcianna Winders, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Animal Law Litigation Clinic Director, Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School
Animals are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, which threatens not only their well-being but, in many cases, their very existence. This opening panel will lay out the scientific, ethical, and policy frameworks that underpin tackling climate change’s impacts on animals.
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT/2:15 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Industrial Animal Agriculture, Environmental Justice, COVID-19, and Climate Change
Jessica Culpepper, Food Project Director, Public Justice
Kelsey Eberly, Staff Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Naeema Muhammad, Organizing Director, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
Moderator: Joyce Tischler, Professor of Practice, Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School
Industrial animal agriculture, sometimes called factory farming, is a significant contributor to climate change. This panel will provide an overview of the connection between industrial animal agriculture and climate change, as well as how it negatively impacts farmed animals, the environment, workers, neighboring communities, public health, and food safety. The panel will also address how our food policies facilitate the existence of industrial animal agriculture and disregard environmental justice issues, COVID-19, and other pandemic risks.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. PT/4:00 – 4:45 p.m. ET
Climate Anxiety and Compassion Fatigue
Emma Marris, Author
Moderator: Stacey Gordon Sterling, Animal Law Program Director, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Australia burned for weeks. Venice flooded. Animals, both human and nonhuman, are suffering around the world. In the era of the twenty-four-hour news cycle, the impact of climate change is impossible to escape and can take a significant toll on our already stressful lives. Join us for a discussion on how to cope with climate change anxiety and compassion fatigue while still contributing to the solution.
Virtual Animal Law Conference Agenda
9:30 – 10:45 a.m. PT/12:30 – 1:45 p.m. ET
Litigating for Animals in a Climate Crisis
Eric Glitzenstein, Director of Litigation, Center for Biological Diversity
Tarah Heinzen, Senior Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch
Cristina Stella, Senior Staff Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Moderator: Katherine Meyer, Animal Law and Policy Clinic Director, Harvard Law School
Litigation has long been an important tool for animal advocates. This panel will explore how animal protection litigation strategies are impacted and informed by the climate crisis, and will examine the promises, challenges, and limitations of litigation as a tool to tackle climate change’s impacts on animals.
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT/2:15 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Our Relationship with Animals and the Rise of Zoonotic Diseases
Dr. Aysha Akhtar, President & CEO, Center for Contemporary Sciences
Kathy Hessler, Clinical Professor of Law and Animal Law Clinic Director, Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School
Erica Lyman, Clinical Professor of Law and Director, International Environmental Law Project, Lewis & Clark Law School
Moderator: Randall Abate, Rechnitz Family/Urban Coast Institute Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy; Professor, Department of Political Science and Sociology, Monmouth University
As habitats are being destroyed, oceans are warming, and factory farms proliferate across the globe, zoonotic diseases (those that spread between animals and humans) are also on the rise. Join our panel of experts to learn how the interdependence among animals, the climate, and human health causes adverse impacts to wild, aquatic, and farmed animals, and ultimately humans, as new infectious diseases, like COVID-19, emerge.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. PT/4:00 – 4:45 p.m. ET
A Conversation with Jonathan Safran Foer
Jonathan Safran Foer, Author of Eating Animals and We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
Introduction by: Pamela Hart, Executive Director, Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School
Join Center for Animal Law Studies Executive Director, Pamela Hart, as she speaks with Jonathan Safran Foer about his most recent book, We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast, what changes he’s seen for better or for worse since the publication of Eating Animals, whether he’s optimistic about the future, and more. Time will also be reserved for audience Q&A.
Virtual Animal Law Conference Agenda
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. PT/12:30 – 1:30 p.m. ET
Professional Responsibility in a Changing Environment
Russ Mead, Shared Earth Foundation Visiting Professor, Lewis & Clark Law School
Moderator: Priscilla Rader, Education Program Manager, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Calling all attorneys! Russ Mead, animal law ethics expert, will lead attendees through an interactive and engaging set of hypotheticals aimed at examining challenging dilemmas that animal protection attorneys often face, and the appropriate response for adhering to the Model Code of Professional Responsibility. One hour of ethics credit will be available, pending bar approval.
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. PT/2:00 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Legislative and Regulatory Updates
Mimi Brody, Director of Federal Affairs, Humane Society Legislative Fund
Kate Dylewsky, Senior Policy Advisor, Government Affairs, Animal Welfare Institute
Kathleen Schatzmann, Senior Legislative Affairs Manager, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Moderator: Kate Barnekow, Clinical Fellow, Animal Law & Policy Program, Harvard Law School
Now more than ever, animal issues are represented in proposed legislation across the country. This panel will highlight legislative and regulatory updates that affect animals directly and indirectly, while also examining the unique challenges brought on with animal advocacy in a changing climate.
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. PT/2:00 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Tackling Other Causes of our Changing Climate
Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Director, Center for Biological Diversity
Natalie Mebane, Associate Director of United States Policy, 350.org
Melissa Powers, Jeffrey Bain Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law; Director, Green Energy Institute, Lewis & Clark Law School
Moderator: Dr. Raj Reddy, Director, Animal Law LL.M. Program, Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School
Increasingly, scientists and governments are acknowledging that factory farming and other animal-use industries are a significant driver of climate change. While addressing these issues is critical, this panel of experts will shed light on other leading climate change causes and how advocates can take meaningful steps to effect positive change for animals.
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. PT/3:45 – 5:00 p.m. ET
Contingency Planning for Animals
Dan Ashe, President and CEO, Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Nathan Herschler, Executive Director, New England Anti-Vivisection Society
Nancy Perry, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Moderator: Dr. Paul Locke, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Climate change is accelerating the rate of extreme weather events, pandemics, and other crises. As the mass culling of millions of animals amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has vividly illustrated, it is more important than ever that facilities holding animals be prepared to care for them when such contingencies arise. This panel will discuss current efforts to ensure adequate planning for animals in emergencies by industry, policymakers, and animal protection groups.
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. PT/3:45 – 5:00 p.m. ET
Judicial Decision-making: Reaching Key Stakeholders in Animal Cruelty Cases
Jamie Contreras, Senior Staff Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund
The Honorable Gale E. Rasin, Senior Judge, Mental Health Court, Baltimore City Circuit Court
The Honorable John J. Romero, Past President, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Moderator: Kathleen Wood, Staff Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Judges encounter animal-related issues in a number of different contexts, including criminal court, mental health court, and juvenile and family court. These cases can pose unique challenges for judges, particularly with regard to animals’ multifaceted legal status. This panel will highlight the key issues that frequently arise in animal cruelty cases from a judge’s perspective and the value of building coalitions among various stakeholders.