UM SALDF Blog

Clerkship Opportunities: ALDF Animal Law Clerkship Program

About the program:

ALDF’s Animal Law Clerkship Program pairs animal law attorneys with law
students interested in working in this dynamic area of the law. ALDF not
only matches qualified candidates with practitioners for this innovative
program, but also provides the funding for these clerkship positions.

This ground-breaking program continues our commitment to creating
opportunities for both legal professionals and law students by advancing
animal law and furthering our mission – “To protect the lives and advance
the interests of animals through the legal system.”

How to apply:

ALDF is now accepting applications from law students who are interested in
working with animal law practitioners during the fall semester. These
positions have the potential to continue into the spring semester. After
reviewing candidates’ application materials, ALDF will match the
appropriate law students with interested attorneys for potential job
placement. Once ALDF matches clerk prospects with an interested attorney,
the participating attorney/firm will be responsible for interviewing the
candidates and hiring the best fit. The deadline to apply for fall
positions is September 19, 2008.

In addition to the fall and spring semester clerkship program, ALDF will
also have a limited number of paid clerkships during summer 2009. If you
are interested in being considered for a summer position, please note this
on your application.

To receive a copy of the clerkship application, please contact Nicole
Pallotta at npallotta@aldf.org

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Come to room F408 at 12:30 this Tuesday, August 26th for our first meeting of the 2008-09 year. Free food! Everyone is welcome to come. We will discuss plans for the year. Bring your ideas, friends, and appetite.

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http://www.law.miami.edu/webcast/index.php

Click here for an audio podcast of the April 18th Animal Law Symposium, “Balancing Animal Law and the First Amendment: A Double Edged Sword”

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Job Title: Summer 2008 Legal Internship
Job Type:
Date Posted: 05/13/2008
Organization: ASPCA
URL: www.aspca.org
Contact: Legal Department
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY, 10128

Fax: (212) 860-3560
Email: legal@aspca.org
Job Description:

The Legal Department of the ASPCA serves as in-house counsel for the organization, dealing with a variety of areas of law and the enforcement of animal cruelty laws by facilitating the prosecution of abuse and neglect cases locally through the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Division and nationally by supporting prosecutors and judges in other jurisdictions.

Legal Internships are unpaid; however, students can receive credits toward graduation or work study pay from their law schools and are encouraged to work this out with their schools. The activities and responsibilities of the legal intern will include, but will not be limited to, state and federal research, drafting memos, due diligence, intellectual property policing of the ASPCA’s trademarks, and working directly with internal business clients.

Qualifications:
The hours for the Summer internship are full-time. Candidates should be first or second year law school students, and must have access to Westlaw and/or LexisNexis.

To Apply:
Please send by mail, fax or email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to: ASPCA, 424 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128, Attn: Legal Department, Fax No. (212) 860-3560, Email: legal@aspca.org. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Job Title: Legal Internship at The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing
Job Type:
Date Posted: 04/08/2008
Organization: Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing
Job Description:

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released the report “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy.” (A prepublication version of that report is attached to this email.) The report states that EPA should transition from its animal-based toxicity testing to a testing strategy that uses in-vitro, computational and other non-animal techniques. The report thus lays out a bold but achievable challenge for transforming toxicity testing at EPA. We believe that it also demonstrates that in-vitro (alternatives) science is the science of the future.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (JHU CAAT) is interested in advancing the implementation of this bold vision. To best understand (and confront) any gaps or roadblocks, we believe that the federal legal and policy institutions that influence humane science need to be examined. In particular, the federal laws, regulations and policies that impact toxicity testing require a thoughtful review and analysis. These include, but are not limited to, the Animal Welfare Act, the ICCVAM Act of 2000, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and the Food Quality Protection Act.

PROJECT: JHU CAAT would like to hire a law student intern to research issues associated with the implementation of the NAS report. I am in the process of preparing a law review article on this topic, and the research would contribute to this article. It is very possible that a student could write a note based on this work. In addition, JHU CAAT is organizing a series of visits to Capitol Hill to educate policy makers about the NAS report and its findings. It is possible that a student intern could assist us in research related to such visits.

TIMING & LOGISTICS: Ideally, Dr. Locke would like to begin working with a law student sometime between May 15th and June 1st and finish the research by the second week in August. While there are office space and facilities for an on-site student intern, it is not necessary for the student to physically be in Baltimore this entire time. It is possible that some research could be conducted off-site. Students will have to have full access to LEXIS and WESTLAW legal database services (which we cannot provide).

Please direct questions about this position to:

Paul A. Locke, JD, DrPH
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
615 North Wolfe Street, W7032G
Baltimore, Maryland 21205
(410) 502-2525 (office)
(410) 955-0617 (fax)
plocke@jhsph.edu

To apply for this position, email (preferred method), mail, or fax a cover letter, copy of your current resume, current academic transcript (unofficial is okay), and two letters of recommendation to:

Animal Legal Defense Fund
Attn: Nicole Pallotta
170 E. Cotati Ave.
Cotati, CA 94931
(707) 795-7280 (fax)
npallotta@aldf.org

Job Title: Fall 2008 Law Clerk
Job Type:
Date Posted: 03/19/2008
Organization: Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal
URL: http://www.meyerglitz.com/jobopportunities.html
Contact: Delcianna Winders
1601 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, DC, 20009-1035

Job Description:

Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal is a Washington, D.C.-based public interest law firm dedicated to providing high quality legal services and advocacy for non-profit organizations at below-market rates or on a statutory fee basis. We specialize in federal and state court litigation on a wide range of public interest issues, including: Wildlife and Animal Protection; Environment and Safe Energy; and Open Government Laws (FOIA).

We are currently seeking 2L or 3L Law Clerks for the 2008 fall semester, either full- or parttime. Law Clerks assist with all aspects of litigation and, depending on the firm’s case load, will likely have the opportunity to work on a range of issues, including animal welfare, environmental protection, and open government.

Law Clerks typically arrange for public interest funding, or alternatively, class credit. Those Law Clerks with only partial or no funding may be compensated on a public interest pay scale commensurate with the nature of our practice.

Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills are required. Environmental and/or animal law background is preferable, although not required.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, transcript, three references, and a short writing sample to: Delcianna Winders, Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal, 1601 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20009-1035. If you would like confirmation that your application has been received, please include a self-addressed stamped post card. Please do not submit applications via email.

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On Friday, April 18th, the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, co-sponsored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar, presented their annual spring symposium at the UM law school student lounge. The symposium was called Balancing Animal Law and the First Amendment: A Double Edged Sword. It explored issues surrounding the intersection of animal rights and first amendment freedoms. The symposium was moderated by Prof. Marcy LaHart, a University of Miami Animal Law professor.

In the first panel, opposing counsels of the Supreme Court case Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v City of Hialeah described the case and discussed current issues surrounding the freedom of religion. Richard Garrett, who is currently General Counsel at Greenberg Traurig, described what it was like to represent the City of Hialeah in the case. Jeanne Baker, the President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, then told the case from the perspective as an ACLU counsel and advocate for the Church. The discussion then turned to current topics, such as freedom of religion in the face of polygamy.

The next panel presented two different sides on Animal rights protestors and defamation. Patricia Acosta, an associate at Hunton Williams, described her role as counsel in the case, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida v. Seigel , and what it was like to represent animal rights protestors. Emily Graham, principal of the Law Office of Emily Patricia Graham, then described the difficulties a fashion designer faces from animal rights protestors when the designer uses fur in their fashion. She illustrated this point with the example of Nicole Miller, and the activists who called her, “Nicole Killer”.

The final panel presented the case of Jason Atkins’ website toughsportslive.com, a pay-per-view internet site where visitors could watch cockfighting streamed live from Puerto Rico, among other animal fights from around the world. Jason Atkins spoke to the audience about his business, how he researched the cockfighting, and then his lawsuit, brought by his Attorney David Markus, claiming that 18 USC § 48, the federal prohibition on the sale of depictions of animal cruelty for commercial gain was unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Madeline Bernstein, President of the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, then described her experiences as an investigator of animal fights and animal cruelty. She also described the legal counter arguments to Mr. Atkins’ constitutional claim.

The panelists represented opposing viewpoints, and the discussion was animated and entertaining throughout the afternoon. Audience members participated and debated the speakers while enjoying a free Mediterranean lunch, catered by the Daily Bread.

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Date: Friday, April 18, 2008
Time: 2:00pm - 5:30pm
Location: Alma Jennings Student Lounge
University of Miami School of Law
Coral Gables, FL
Lunch: Vegan Mediterranean lunch will be provided
Cost: Free
Registration: RSVP requested to umsaldf@yahoo.com
CLE: 4 CLE Credits pending with The Florida Bar

Sponsored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and The Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar (EASL).

This year’s annual Animal Law Symposium will look at the past and future of how the First Amendment shapes animal law. There will be three panels of discussion, one focusing on freedom of religion and the other two on freedom of speech. A vegan lunch will be served including a variety of Mediterranean foods. There is no charge to attend.

Moderator: Marcy LaHart, Professor of Animal Law at University of Miami School of Law and animal law practitioner

PART I
Balancing Freedom of Religion with Animal Rights
The Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah: A Retrospective

Speakers:

• Jeanne Baker, President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida

• Richard Garrett, Shareholder and Vice President and General Counsel at Greenberg Traurig

The first part of the presentation will focus on freedom of religion in Animal Law, particularly the case of the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah. In the case, the Church challenged a city ordinance banning the ritual slaughter of animals. The Supreme Court of the United States decided the case in 1993. The ACLU acted as counsel for the petitioners, the Church, and Mr. Richard Garrett was counsel for the respondent, the city of Hialeah. Both Ms. Jeanne Baker and Mr. Garrett participated in drafting the Supreme Court briefs and Mr. Garrett also conducted the oral argument. A number of animal rights organizations filed amici curiae briefs on behalf of the city of Hialeah, including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Washington Humane Society, and the International Society for Animal Rights. Ms. Baker and Mr. Garrett will discuss the case, explaining the arguments they made as to why the ordinance was or was not constitutional. They will also address the implications of the Supreme Court decision on animal rights and the freedom of religion under the First Amendment.

PART II
Animal Rights and Freedom of Speech: Defamation

Speakers:

• Emily Graham, Principal of The Law Offices of Emily Patricia Graham, Esq.

• Thomas Julin, Chair of the media law group of Hunton & Williams LLP

The second panel will cover freedom of speech and animal law. This panel will address defamation in the context of animal protests. Ms. Emily Graham will discuss statements by journalists and animal rights protesters that describe fashion designers who use fur as heartless killers. Ms. Graham will explain various instances, including the dispute over a news article about the designer Nicole Miller, who no longer uses fur after the controversy.

Thomas Julin will be talking about his cases, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida v. Siegel , and Worldwide Primates v. McGreal. He will share his experiences about these cases, other recent cases involving animal rights organization and defamation/libel, and his expertise on issues surrounding defamation and animal rights protests general.

PART III
Free Speech and Prohibitions against Depicting Animal Cruelty

Speakers:

• David Oscar Markus, Criminal Defense Attorney

• Madeline Bernstein, President of the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)

The panel will discuss the constitutionality of 18 USC § 48, the federal prohibition on the sale of depictions of animal cruelty for commercial gain. Mr. David O. Markus is currently litigating a case in which his client, Advanced Consulting and Marketing, filed suit challenging the constitutionality of the statute on First Amendment grounds. The company broadcasts cockfights that are conducted in Puerto Rico over the Internet. Cockfighting is currently illegal in 49 states and as of next year will be illegal in all 50 states. However, in Puerto Rico, where the cockfights are being staged, the practice is legal. The statute makes it a crime to sell depictions of cruelty to animals whether or not it was legal where the cruelty took place as long as it was illegal where the depictions were sold. The speakers will discuss why the statute does or does not unconstitutionally abridge free speech.

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SALDF elections will be held on April 1st at 12:30 PM in Room F109. All SALDF members in good standing are welcome and encouraged to come out and vote. To be a member in good standing, all you have to do is pay your $20 dues. If you haven’t already paid, you can do so at the April 1st meeting.

If you are interested in running for an SALDF e-board position, contact umsaldf@yahoo.com as soon as possible. The following positions are available:

President: Identifies activities to promote the mission of SALDF (e.g. moot court competitions, animal law conferences). Oversees all events and committees. Serves as chapter liaison within law school, ALDF, and community (i.e. EarthSave). Facilitates meetings and provides meeting agendas. Sends weekly email updates to entire list. Updates SALDF blog (saldf.umlaw.net) or works with webmaster to do so. Appoints non-executive board positions as needed (e.g. Webmaster, Historian, Fundraising Chair).

Vice President of Events: Organizes Spring Symposium. Organizes Guest Speaker Events (suggested two guest speakers in the Fall semester). Arranges event catering, if applicable. Arranges for parking for guest speakers. Serves as a contact person for guest speakers.

Vice President of Community Affairs: Works with local animal shelter to host a pet adoption (one per year). Arranges monthly volunteer days with local shelter. Makes arrangements for Thanksgiving donation drive for local animal shelter. Arranges SALDF “Pack” for the annual Humane Society Walk for the Animals in February ($1000 total fundraising required; $100 per person). Serves as the Animal Outreach Project Leader for H.O.P.E., which entails attending monthly H.O.P.E. meetings and updating H.O.P.E. with the schedule of events.

Publicity Chairs (2): One publicity chair shall be elected in the Spring semester; one shall be appointed by the President in the Fall. A first-year law student appointee is encouraged. Publicizes all meetings and events. Develops creative ways to advertise both on campus and in the community. Takes meeting minutes & distributes to group. Emails SBA Secretary with global email requests, when appropriate.

Treasurer: Keeps track of membership roster. Handles all LAFAC requests. Reimburses speakers, food providers, and members with either group funds or LAFAC funds. Represents chapter at budget meetings. Leads one on-going project per year (i.e. exotics legislation, cage-free eggs on campus, etc.) (discretionary).

For more information about any of these positions, you can also email umsaldf@yahoo.com.

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After a string of violent cases of sexual abuse of animals in Florida, ARFF petitioned state lawmakers to file a bill making bestiality a specific crime in Florida. The bills (HB 1227, introduced by Representative Bill Heller, and SB 744, by Senator Nan Rich) are now making their way slowly through the legislative process.

Please help move this important bill to protect animals. With the legislative session now in full swing, it is essential that these bills are heard by their assigned committees soon.

HB 1227 by Representative Heller is scheduled to be heard first by the Safety and Security Council. Please contact the council chair and ask that HB 1227, “the bestiality bill”, be scheduled for a hearing.

Contact:
Representative Dick Kravitz, Chair
Phone: (850) 488-1304
Online comment form.

SB 744 by Senator Nan Rich is scheduled to be heard first by the Criminal Justice Committee. Please contact the chair and vice chair of the committee and ask that SB 744, “the bestiality bill”, be scheduled for a hearing.

Contact:
Senator Paula Dockery, Chair
Phone: (866) 248-6487
E-mail: dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov

Senator Dave Aronberg, Vice Chair
Phone: (877) 435-7351
E-mail: aronberg.dave.web@flsenate.gov

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Job Title: Civil Liberties Associate - Internship/Externship
Job Type:
Date Posted: 03/04/2008
Organization: Equal Justice Alliance
Contact: Odette Wilkens
Phone: 718.575.8784
Email: owilkens@equaljusticealliance.org
Job Description:

10 weeks (either Spring 2008 and/or Summer 2008)

Draft proposed legislative changes to the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) and liaise with Congressional and other legislative aides (this will occur primarily in the Spring and will continue into the Summer). Conduct legal and fact research on civil liberties issues as they relate to protecting the rights of individuals advocating for animals, as well as working on issues relating to the Animal Welfare Act. This will involve researching and analyzing laws, liaising with bar associations, constitutional rights societies and the legal and legislative communities, organizing forums at law schools and bar associations to create awareness. Excellent writing, oral communication and research skills are required.

Ideal for working at school or home, with weekly in person conferences and daily telephone conferences.

Equal Justice Alliance is a coalition of organizations challenging the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and other similar legislation affecting the rights of individuals advocating for animals.

Unpaid, preferably for school credit or school fellowship/stipend.

Please send by email:

Resume
Cover letter (optional)
Brief writing sample (if possible)

For additional opportunities in animal law, visit http://www.aldf.org/jobs/.

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“Investigating animal cruelty under Florida law and the link between human violence and animal cruelty”

Tuesday, March 18th at 12:30 PM in Room 265

• Mrs. Schlueter has spoken before members of both the US Congress and
British Parliament, and many state, local, and other national governments on animal
issues and about human/animal violence.

• Mrs. Schlueter has over 34 years of law enforcement experience, and was the
founder of the first animal-cruelty-specific unit at the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

• She has also successfully helped author and lobby for numerous
local and state statutes, including the original Florida felony
animal cruelty statute, which became law in 1989.

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