Nicole Pallotta

Nicole is the student liaison for ALDF’s Animal Law Program. In this capacity, she works with law students who are interested in advancing ALDF’s mission, including members of over 145 Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) chapters. Nicole helps law students form and maintain chapters, and assists them with projects like getting animal law courses added to the curriculum at their schools. She also coordinates ALDF’s animal law clerkship, scholarship, and grant programs.

Prior to joining ALDF in October 2005, Nicole completed her Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in social movements, culture, and social psychology, at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens. Her dissertation, “Becoming an Animal Rights Activist: An Exploration of Culture, Socialization, and Identity Transformation,” analyzed the social context of participation in the animal rights movement. While in graduate school, Nicole developed and taught the first Animals and Society course offered at UGA. Her writing has appeared in Sociological Perspectives, Society and Animals, and The Journal for Critical Animal Studies.

In addition to her academic work, Nicole has been involved with numerous animal protection and rescue groups over the years. She currently lives in Portland with her best friend, Alec, an adopted German shepherd about whom she blogs at www.alec-story.blogspot.com.