We have long sung the praises of humane education, since, obviously, the first step to a better world is to teach kids to be kind. We have also emphasized the importance of involving lawyers in the fight to improve the world for animals. But is there a way that those two things actually go together? You betcha by golly. Say hello to the joint program between one of our favorite humane ed organizations, HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers) and one of our favorite bar association committees, the American Bar Association’s TIPS Animal Law Committee.
Due to the work of Meena Alagappan (you can listen to her on our podcast), who happens to be both the Executive Director of HEART and a former chair of the Animal Law Committee (as am I), these two organizations have banded together to provide training to lawyers and law students who want to then go into their local public elementary schools and provide the students with some entertaining, and deeply meaningful, lessons on their relationship to animals and to the earth. Providing fun for the lawyers (believe me, this is a lot more fun than most of the stuff lawyers get to do), enlightenment for the kids, and, hopefully, eventual salvation for the animals, it’s definitely a win-win-win.
These trainings have happened all over the country. I’m excited that the next one will be right here in Portland, where HEART has just opened its newest chapter, at Lewis & Clark Law School, where I am currently a visiting professor . So, if you’re a lawyer or law student, and you love kids (and animals!) contact Meena at alagappan.meena[at]gmail.com or Dani at dani[at]teachhumane.org — and then get yourself over here on October 6.
