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By Rob Roy Smith
Heralded by one local attorney as an “excellent” program, the Sixth Annual Animal Law Conference was held here at Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College on Saturday, October 10. The conference was presented exclusively by the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF).
Past conferences have focused on such issues as the ethical place of animals in law and urban planning, perspectives on domestic and captive animals, and marine wildlife. The focus of this year’s conference was more grand, however. Animals in the Global Marketplace: Science, Society and Industry erased the barrier between wildlife and domestic non-human animals issues by discussing the legal, social, and moral implications of the place of non-human animals in society as we approach the new millennium. With such a pervasive issue in our culture, Animals in the Global Marketplace was able to attract attorneys, law students, animal protection activists, and others, creating an excellent forum in which to discuss the myriad concerns facing wildlife and domestic non-human animals.
The first panel of the day, Feeding the World, addressed the use of non-human animals for human consumption. Erik Marcus, the author of Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating, opened the conference with an inspiring presentation discussing the ethical and moral implications of eating vegan. Erik’s compelling work was furthered only by his call for those who live vegetarian and vegan lifestyles to go one step further. Over nine billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year. By eating vegan, one individual saves approximately 40 animals per year. Although the value of every life saved cannot be understated, society has to do more, implying that there exists a moral duty to take greater affirmative steps to end the needless slaughter of animals for human use.
With Erik, Scott Beckstead, an attorney from southern Oregon, discussed the new wave of eating that is sweeping Europe: horse meat. With the advent of Mad Cow Disease, Scott discussed how Europeans have turned to the American horse as a substitute for beef for dinner. He also discussed a ballot measure in California that would consider horses companion animals, thereby making it illegal to slaughter them for human consumption.
A Place for Animals in Society followed. Among the issues and amazing stories that were related, the panelists discussed the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty, the protections afforded service animals, and ways to use the law to afford more protections to companion animals. Among the panelists were adjunct professor and the Director of the Anti-Cruelty Division of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) Pamela Frasch, Susan Mentley of the Oregon Human Society, and Dennis Steinman of the firm Steinman, Cooper and Wiscarson. The most fascinating speaker, however, was Claudia Cullison, a local attorney who takes animal abuse cases pro-bono. She has worked on such cases as Nadas and George, the yellow lab shot by an off-duty Portland police officer last year. Her inspirational success stories, including a $10,000 settlement where “fair market value” is the norm, held the audience captivated.
The final two panels discussed some of the most contentious issues in animal law today. Animals in Research and Technology questioned what we must sacrifice in the name of “progress.” Professor Art LaFrance opened by discussing cloning. A fascinating subject, cloning has been cocktail party discussion since Scottish scientists cloned a sheep a few years ago. However, most of the concerns raised over cloning have involved humans, neglecting concerns about animals. Accompanying Professor LaFrance were Stu Sugarman and Paul Loney, two attorneys from Portland who have successfully defended numerous civil disobedience cases, normally involving protests of animal research facilities. The two spoke of an issue that is often neglected in the discussion of public interest law. Their stories served as a reminder of why many of us came to law school: to help those who need it most. What better way to achieve this end than by protecting free speech for those trying to save members of society without a voice.
Finally, the day’s panels concluded with Efforts to Minimize Industry Impact on Wildlife. Comprised of three NWSL graduates who have taken varied approaches to aid wildlife, the panel discussed international efforts to save endangered sea turtles, and salmon and timber issues in the Pacific Northwest. The panelists were Professor Chris Wold, Sybil Ackerman of the National Wildlife Federation, and attorney Scott Horngren.
Following a reception and catered vegan dinner, the evening was accentuated by the keynote address of Joyce Tishler, the founder of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. In her speech, entitled Why Animals Should Have Legal Rights, Joyce relayed her experiences watching the animal welfare movement gain support and make inroads since the creation of ALDF in 1981. Just as people thought it impossible for African Americans and women to enjoy the rights once held by white males only, society thought that Joyce was wasting her time. But the events of the past two decades have proven her critics wrong. With anti-cruelty statutes in place around the country and a recent United States Court of Appeals decision that granted animal rights activists third-party standing to sue under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) for the first time, Joyce reminded all of us that, with a little dedication, anything is possible.
Next year’s conference promises to be bigger and better than the last. SALDF hopes to include other student organizations in the conference planning process in order to make the last conference of the century the best yet. And it is not too late to get involved. Conference planning is by no means easy, but the rewards are great. SALDF’s work does not stop there, however. The organization also presents other events, such as the lecture on Wednesday, October 14, by FBI Special Agent John Fitzgerald discussing the link between human violence and animal cruelty. So keep posted for future speakers and events sponsored by SALDF and check the SALDF posting board for the latest news on the animal issues that effect us all.