Animal Rights Law: For or Against
Our Centre has conducted a series of online interviews with senior academics and lawyers working in animal rights and animal welfare law on the theme “Animal Rights Law: For or Against”. Our guests approach this theme from a range of different perspectives, and the interviews cover issues including
the way forward: welfare, rights, or a third approach;
the challenges facing animal rights law;
the concept of animal rights law (i.e., some degree of autonomous legal rights for animals) as compared with the concept of animal welfare law (i.e., some degree of limitation on human behaviour);
issues within animal rights law which may make it more or less feasible as a direction, such as an economic paradigm shift; and
issues around the legal status of animals.
The interviews were made possible through generous support by the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy.
Jonathan Lovvorn
Jonathan Lovvorn is a Lecturer in Law, Clinical Lecturer in Law, Senior Research Scholar in Law, and Faculty Co-Director of the Law, Ethics, & Animals Program at Yale Law School. Lovvorn’s teaching and scholarship focuses on the intersection of animal law, environmental law, and food policy, and the search for practical legal solutions that advance diverse public interest causes. Lovvorn also serves Chief Counsel for Animal Protection Litigation for the Humane Society of the United States, and as a board member and/or legal advisor to other animal and environmental protection organisations.
Jeff Kerr
As general counsel to PETA and its international affiliates for nearly 25 years, Jeff Kerr built and leads the world’s largest legal team working for animal rights. His team was named Corporate Counsel magazine’s 2017 Best Legal Department, and his high-profile cases—including the 13th Amendment case Tilikum v. SeaWorld, the first three successful constitutional challenges to “ag-gag” laws, and the “Monkey Selfie” copyright case—have made headlines around the world and sparked a global conversation about the legal rights of animals. Kerr lectures about animal law at law schools around the United States.
Paula Sparks
Paula Sparks is Chairperson of the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-Law). Paula has an interest in animal law and regularly lectures and writes on topics around animal law. She is a visiting lecturer at the University of Winchester where she teaches animal law and policy. She was previous a barrister where she practiced civil law at Doughty Street Chambers.
Richard Cupp
Richard L. Cupp is John W. Wade Professor of Law at Caruso School of Law, Pepperdine University. He teaches Animal Law, Torts, Products Liability, and Remedies. He has written extensively about the legal and moral status of animals and has advised many organizations on these subjects, including the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Science, Technology and Law, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association.
David Favre
David Favre is Professor of Law & The Nancy Heathcote Professor of Property and Animal Law at Michigan State University. He co-founded the Animal Legal Defense Fund in 1982 and has written several articles and books dealing with animal issues including such topics as animal cruelty, wildlife law, the use of animals for scientific research, and international control of animal trade. He teaches Property, International Environmental Law, Wildlife Law, and Animal Law.
Simon Brooman
Simon Brooman is Senior Lecturer in Law at Liverpool John Moores University and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is widely published in Animal Law and his seminal book Law Relating to Animals (1997), which he co-authored with Debbie Legge, is considered an important stepping stone in developing Animal Law in higher education. He is also one of the leading lecturers in the field and teaches the longest running Animal Law course in the UK at 26 years.
