Gain Practical Experience: University of Chicago Law School Students Work on Animal Rights Project

Summary

This article discusses a collaborative project between the University of Chicago Law School and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) which aims to develop practical animal rights laws. The initiative focuses on how animals are represented in state and federal legislatures, how their legal standing is argued and secured, and how the laws are enforced. The project encourages students to work in teams to craft and implement state-of-the-art legal strategies addressing a number of issues from animal cruelty laws to litigation strategies for Wild Horse and Burro protection.


The project is the brainchild of University of Chicago Law School students, as well as Professor Richard L. Friedman and Professor David J. Rapp. Professor Friedman is a nationally recognized leader in animal legal protection and has been an advocate for animals for more than 30 years. His expertise has been instrumental in the successful representation of animal rights issues in numerous legislative and appellate court cases. Professor Rapp is the leader of the Animal Legal Defense Fund's litigation efforts and has been involved in defending animal guardianship rights, fighting large-scale agricultural enterprises, and advocating for the rights of undercover investigators.

The project has been a success so far, involving teams of law students working with experts in the field, such as ALDF attorneys, to develop practical legal strategies and legal theory on various animal protection issues. The teams have collaborated on various research projects, including creating a database of animal protection laws and evaluating the role of attorneys in enforcing animal protection laws. The project also incorporates a training program, where students receive guidance from ALDF attorneys on how to conduct legal research on behalf of animals, draft comments for legislation, and collaborate with activists in the field.

The collaboration between the University of Chicago Law School and the ALDF also provides students with a unique opportunity to be part of a larger movement for animal rights. By joining the project, students gain invaluable experience from real-world legal work, develop an understanding of animal rights issues, and become part of a movement that hopes to improve the lives of animals.

The University of Chicago Law School and the Animal Legal Defense Fund project is a great example of how law schools and legal organizations can collaborate to advance the cause of animal rights. Through their collaboration, law students gain real-world legal experience in developing practical animal rights laws and strategies, while helping to promote animal rights in their communities. The project also acts as a platform for legal professionals and advocates to join forces to ensure that animals are adequately represented in state and federal legislatures.
 

University of Chicago Law Students Developing Practical Animal Rights Impact Project

The University of Chicago Law School recently introduced a new project that seeks to develop practical animal rights impact. The project was created by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), which aims to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. The project is led by Professor Kimberly K. Ferzan, and it will focus on using the legal system to develop practical strategies for protecting and promoting animal welfare.
 

Animal Legal Defense Fund Research Project

ALDF's research project will examine various aspects of the legal system, including the legal implications of animal abuse, the various legal theories that can be used to advocate for animal rights, and the use of litigation as a tool for achieving legal change. In addition, the project will also look into the current state of animal rights in the U.S. and the legal strategies that have been utilized to advance animal welfare.
 

University of Chicago Law Students Joining the Project

In order to assist with the research project, a group of law students from the University of Chicago have volunteered to participate in the research and development of the project. These students will work together with Professor Ferzan and ALDF staff to explore a variety of legal strategies for advancing animal welfare. The students will be given the opportunity to work on a variety of research topics, including the legal implications of animal rights, the use of the courtroom for advocating for animal rights, and the effectiveness of existing animal welfare laws.
 

Animal Rights and the Legal System

The results of the project will help to inform future legal decisions and animal welfare policy in the United States. The research conducted by the students and Professor Ferzan will also be used to create a practical guide for attorneys and other legal professionals that aims to promote the advancement of animal rights. Through this project, the University of Chicago Law School students will gain valuable experience in the legal field of animal rights and will be able to contribute to the growing field of animal law.

Both Cowen and Lovei worked on the new Chicago Animal Treatment Principles Project, which seeks to find practical solutions to animal-ethics issues through legal research and proposed changes in industry practices—both in how producers treat animals and in what they tell consumers about that treatment.

Cowen was interested in the project on both intuitive and intellectual levels, she says. As a long-time vegetarian, she has an ongoing interest in animal rights. She is also interested in looking at the informational problems that go along with efforts to reach real-world solutions to animal-ethics problems. Most consumers do not really know what they are eating, she says, and therefore "most people are not making informed decisions," on what food to buy.

Lovei got involved in the project because she sees it as a relevant area of inquiry that receives little attention. Animal ethics and law is "a very new area," she says. Also, she was interested in tackling the challenge of finding unexpected solutions to animal-treatment problems. Chicago law has the chance to be a leader in this emerging field, she says.

The animal treatment project, which will soon expand to address other issues in animal rights, has thus far focused on the idea that consumer knowledge is essential to forwarding the ethical treatment of animals used for food in the United States. As with nutritional information, the animal treatment project leaders settled on product labeling as a tool for consumer education.

"Labeling would kick-start consumer awareness," says Lovei. From that awareness, a market would develop for products made from humanely treated animals, with producers competing for consumers.

One essential question in this project is: what would go on the label? The ultimate answer is still being debated. One idea, says Lovei, is that the label would give a specific list of how the animal was treated; it would not read, hypothetically, 'Humane Seal of Approval.'

A general 'approval' label would not truly serve to inform the consumer, since it leaves the details of the animal's life up to the individual's imagination. While some general certifications were part of the impetus for the Chicago program's start, they are not the end of the story, says Professor Jeff Leslie, one of the faculty members working on the project.

For example, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) certifies that some food in the U.K. has been produced humanely through the "Freedom Food Project," with its stamp of approval. While this type of system is a good thing, it does not go far enough because it gives no detail or definition of exactly what "humane" means, says Leslie.

Cowen's research looked at the history and efficacy of other food-labeling programs. Lovei examined regulatory schemes for a labeling system and how enforcement of labeling standards would work.

Lovei found, in general, that it would be preferable to have ongoing random checks on producers to make sure their labels were truthful, as opposed to scheduled inspections. Also, self-verification of good practices (by each producer filling out a form saying that all was being done correctly) does not increase consumer confidence.

Lovei also found that currently, with other voluntary labeling, the standards for labeling a product were similar from producer to producer but not completely uniform. It would be better to have industry agreement on uniform standards.

Cowen looked at the history of nutritional labeling and organic labeling to see whether they were effective. Her research suggested that, in fact, labels do not have as much impact as one might hope, thus doing little to change consumer preferences.

A consumer looking for a low-fat item, for example, would look at nutritional labels and compare products, buying one that was lower in fat. But that label would not convince another consumer to buy the low-fat product if the consumer was not all ready seeking it out.

Cowen, greatly in favor of labeling products with animal-treatment information, still doubts that it would achieve the ideal impact, although labels might change some practices "to a degree," she says.

Nonetheless, there is hope that information on animal treatment could have some impact on consumer behavior, says Cowen, given recent controversies and changes in the fast-food industry.

Last summer eleven workers were fired from a Pilgrim's Pride chicken processing plant in West Virginia for cruelty to animals. A member of the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) got a job at the plant and videotaped workers abusing the chickens in horrifying ways and then showed the video on national television. Under public pressure, the company, a supplier to the KFC restaurant chain, kicked out those responsible and hired an outside animal-rights consultant.

The consumer reaction to the Pilgrim's Pride/KFC exposé shows the information gap between "what people know and what people eat," says Cowen.

Labeling could begin to change all that.