Congratulations to the 2020 Student Chapters of the Year!

Congratulations to the Florida A&M University College of Law and the American University Washington College of Law Student Chapters for winning the 2020 Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter of the Year Awards!

The Student Chapter of the Year Award celebrates chapters that have shown amazing efforts in advancing the field of animal law. Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapters are a vital part of the growing animal law movement and through their work on campus and in their communities, student chapter members lead by example. Through raising awareness of animal law, they show students and faculty that animal protection is a serious social justice issue. Members are future attorneys, legislators, judges, and educators who will be influential advocates for protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, the Florida A&M University College of Law had a very busy year! The chapter collaborated with three other student organizations to provide relief to the people and animals of the Bahamas during the worst disaster in its recorded history, Hurricane Dorian. The chapter also fundraised through the “Paws in the Park” event to benefit their local animal shelter, Pet Alliance.

The chapter also hosted several volunteer trips, including a clean-up of Blue Springs State Park, and to sanctuaries Rooterville, C.A.R.E. Foundation, and the Center for Great Apes. In addition, they contributed their time to a BioBlitz research program, an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all living species within a designated area, in collaboration with Conservation Florida.

Lastly, the chapter hosted many on-campus events, including spearheading an animal cruelty law and legislative advocacy workshop, hosting several expert speakers, and participating in the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s weeks of action, Speak Out for Farmed Animals Week and National Justice for Animals Week.

The American University Washington College of Law also kept busy with a variety of events, volunteer work, and projects. The chapter hosted several brown bag lunches over the year, featuring speakers from national and local animal protection organizations.

The chapter co-hosted a conference on Representing Truth in Agriculture that addressed the intersections between animal protection, whistleblower rights, and environmental justice. The conference included activists who discussed a wide range of topics related to industrial agriculture.

In addition to these events, the chapter promoted a local debate for city council candidates specifically addressing animal protection issues in Washington, D.C. This gave students an overview of pressing issues in their local community while giving the candidates an opportunity to showcase their animal-friendly policy ideas.

Previously, the chapter had secured plant-based food options at all environmental law events, and the chapter continues to ensure that this standard is met, working toward the ultimate goal of having a default of plant-based foods at campus events. They also collaborated with other students to create a community garden on campus.

Congratulations to our winners! This is the second year in a row that these chapters won, demonstrating an incredible and ongoing commitment to animal law. Thank you to the chapters that applied for this year’s award and to all of our student chapters for your dedication to the animals!