Calling All Lawyers (and Law Students)!

Calling All Lawyers (and Law Students)!

Posted on 06. Jun, 2010 by in Legal Eagles

I may have an ulterior motive here (see below) but this is completely sincere nevertheless. If you are a lawyer, interested in animal law in any way, you need to join a bar association animal law section and/or committee. A few years ago, that might have been difficult, because there were so few of them, but nowadays animal law committees are very common. Even if your particular bar association of choice doesn’t have one, it is no longer controversial to try to get one started. So do it!

What’s in it for you? Well, if my experience is any forecast, you will meet lots of great lawyers who care passionately about animals who will remain your colleagues and friends for years to come. That’s what came about when, years ago, I joined the New York City Bar Association‘s Animal Law Committee. It was at that point that, rather than seeing myself just a person who cared about animals, I felt like I was somebody who was trying to DO something!

What’s in this for the animals? One of the most important things about getting active in bar associations is that you are out there in the real world. Bar associations are full of active, political, intelligent, often progressive people who frequently, like the rest of the population, know absolutely nothing about the current treatment of animals and the laws that govern, or fail to govern, their care. While working with such people can, as we all know, have its frustrations, the opportunities for creating change are a lot greater when you are enlightening change-makers, than when you are talking to people who are already on board.

As for my afore-mentioned self interest, starting in August I will be the chair of the Animal Law Committee of the American Bar Association‘s Tort, Trial, Insurance Practice Section. The ALC is a growing and dynamic body of lawyers and it is really a privilege to be part of it. If I do say so myself, its facebook page is one of the best places around to stay on top of what’s going on in animal law. Once you are a member of the ABA (which, I might add, is very inexpensive for law students and recent graduates), you need to join the Tort, Trial, Insurance Practice Section, and then join the Animal Law Committee. I hope you to see you there!!

Photo: Animal Law Committee

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4 Responses to “Calling All Lawyers (and Law Students)!”

  1. Jean Slepian

    07. Jun, 2010

    Very informative post, thanks so much, Mariann …
    I’m not a lawyer, but am very involved in legislative efforts to help animals in my home state, New Hampshire ( see my website, http://www.Give-Us-Shelter.com) .
    I’m always thrilled to make new contacts in the legal/legislative area , but…
    I don’t think the NH Bar Assoc will give this kind of information to non-members … do you know if there’s an animal law committee in NH Bar Assoc ? If not, do you have any contacts here who might want to talk about it ?
    Thanks so much !
    Jean Slepian
    Stoddard NH

  2. Mariann Sullivan

    Mariann

    07. Jun, 2010

    Hi Jean,
    Thanks for the link to your website — it looks like you are doing great work. I looked on the website of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, where they list all the bar association animal law committees and sections and, unfortunately, I don’t see New Hampshire. I can’t think of any lawyers off the top of my head from NH, but I am sure they are out there. Committees and sections are forming all the time. I don’t see any reason why the bar association wouldn’t tell you about their committees, and if there is an animal law committee in the works.

  3. Tara

    07. Jun, 2010

    Hi Mariann,

    I’m an associate at a small firm in NYC that doesn’t pay for a NYC Bar Association membership for me. I’ve always been very interested in animal law and would probably cough up the money to join myself as long as I knew it would be worth it for me (and the animals!) Are there meetings of the animal law committee? How often? I browsed the bar association’s website but couldn’t find much information beyond the existence of the committee. Are there opportunities for lawyers in the city to help animals? I really want to break into the field but am unsure of how to go about it.

    Btw, I’m a big fan of your work after reading about it a while ago on the blog “Kiss Me – I’m Vegan!” Great stuff!

  4. Mariann Sullivan

    Mariann

    09. Jun, 2010

    Hi Tara,
    I will email you privately with some information about the NYC bar association committee. Yes, it meets once a month.
    Mariann

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