Clinic brings animal law to the forefront

The George Washington University Law School has teamed up with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to create the Animal Law Litigation Project. The goal of the program is to train students in animal law in a real-world setting. Students will have a chance to work with the HSUS's legal staff on federal and state court cases to protect wildlife, improve the treatment of performing animals and animals used in research, and to prevent systematic mistreatment of animals in factory farms.

While this law clinic is similar to other public interest clinics the school offers, Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of animal-protection litigation for HSUS, says the subject matter shows how important animals are to communities. "This project will bridge the gap between theory and practice, and will demonstrate that animal law, like environmental law, is a forceful tool for effecting meaningful change in our society," he says.