HSUS, George Washington University Law School Announce New Animal Law Clinic

5/2/2005 12:30:00 PM

To: National Desk, Environment Reporter

Contact: Rachel Querry of the Humane Society of the United States, 301-258-8255; rquerry [at] hsus.org

WASHINGTON, May 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- As a growing number of law schools across the country add animal law to their curriculum, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and George Washington University Law School (GW Law School) today announced the creation of the Animal Law Litigation Project, a joint venture that will improve enforcement of the nation's animal protection laws by giving students clinical experience representing the interests of animals in the courts.

The clinic will offer a select group of highly qualified GW Law School students a chance to work side-by-side with The HSUS's experienced legal staff on cutting edge animal protection cases. Clinical students will enroll in a new course at GW Law School -- Animal Law Lawyering -- and receive credit for their work on federal and state court cases to protect whales, dolphins, manatees, and other wildlife, to improve the treatment of performing animals and animals used in research, and to prevent the systematic mistreatment of animals in factory farms.

The new litigation project will be co-managed by Professor Joan Schaffner of GW Law School and Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of animal protection litigation for The HSUS.

"The Animal Law Litigation Project represents an unprecedented alliance between a humane organization and one of our nation's leading law schools to move animal law out of the classroom and into the nation's courtrooms," said Lovvorn, who also co-teaches an animal law seminar at GW Law School with Nancy Perry, HSUS's vice president of government affairs. "By giving law students an opportunity to work on real cases along side experienced litigators, this project will bridge the gap between theory and practice, and demonstrate that animal law, like environmental law, is a forceful tool for effecting meaningful change in our society."

The announcement of the new clinic comes just a few months after The HSUS's formation of an animal protection litigation section to implement new, precedent-setting legal campaigns on behalf of animals. With a staff of eight full-time lawyers, the new section is the largest in-house animal protection litigation department in the country, and offers several "litigation fellowships" for exceptional law school graduates each year. The new clinic will significantly expand The HSUS's ability to provide representation for animals, and help fulfill The HSUS's and GW Law School's shared goal of providing practical training the next generation of lawyers and law students.

The Humane Society of the United States represents nearly nine million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animals and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS protects all animals through litigation, investigation, education, legislation, advocacy and fieldwork. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country.

Accredited by the American Bar Association and a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools, the George Washington Law School enrolls approximately 1,750 students each year. The law school is one of the leading schools in the country on animal law, with an active animal welfare pro bono project devoted to researching and improving animal welfare laws in the District of Columbia, an annual seminar on animal law and wildlife protection, and an active chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. The law school also hosted the first Animal Law Legislative Drafting and Lobbying Competition in April 2005, in conjunction with the National Center for Animal Law.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

-0-

/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/