Student Convention – 2023

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.: Registration & Breakfast
9:00 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks by Chris Green, Executive Director, Animal Legal Defense Fund
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.: Career Panel
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.: Break & Networking
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Lunch
12:15 – 12:30 p.m.: Chapter of the Year Award
12:45 – 2:15 p.m.: Law Student Scholarship Panel – Trends in Animal Law
2:15 – 3:30 p.m.: Closing Remarks & Networking

*All times are in PST

9:00 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks by Priscilla Rader Culp
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.: Virtual Career Panel
12:45 – 2:15 p.m.: Law Student Scholarship Panel – Trends in Animal Law (livestreamed)

*All times are in PST

As a Criminal Justice Program Fellow with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Jessica Chapman addresses crimes against animals, partnering with stakeholders across the criminal justice system to resolve both the impetus and impact of animal cruelty. Jessica earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley where she double majored in Slavic Languages and Literature and Native American Studies (honors). She earned a J.D. (cum laude) from Michigan State University College of Law, where Jessica received the 2020 Wanda Nash Award from the Animal Law Section of the Michigan State Bar. Jessica earned an Animal law L.L.M. (magna cum laude) from Lewis & Clark Law School. While at Lewis & Clark, she was awarded the inaugural 2021 Outstanding Animal Law L.L.M. Graduate Award and earned placement in the Cornelius Honor Society.

Will Lowrey is the founder and Legal Counsel for Animal Partisan, a new legal advocacy organization focused on challenging unlawful conduct in animal agriculture and research. Prior to his current role, Will served as Legal Counsel for Animal Outlook, a national nonprofit farmed animal protection organization, where he divided his time between civil litigation and undercover investigations. Will has substantial experience using private complaint mechanisms to enforce criminal animal protection laws, has used public records law to expose animal cruelty, and has engaged in numerous lawsuits against the government and industrial agriculture, including cases involving administrative challenges, false advertising, public nuisance, and constitutional issues. Prior to joining Animal Outlook, Will clerked in the Superior Court of New Jersey, and interned with the Virginia Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Will taught the first Animal Law course at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and spends considerable time mentoring law students interested in the field. Before law school, Will worked a lengthy corporate career and in his free time, helped run several non-profits focused on a variety of animal issues. Will resides in central Virginia where he writes animal-related fiction books and serves as one of the resident caretakers for a small nonprofit sanctuary for formerly farmed animals.

Diego is a Chilean legal professional who obtained his law degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. He pursued further studies in the field of environmental and sustainable development at the law school of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Subsequently, he traveled to Portland, where he successfully completed his LL.M. in Animal Law at Lewis & Clark. His exceptional academic achievements and leadership skills were recognized with honors, as well as the prestigious Cornelius Honor Society distinction.

Diego has actively collaborated with numerous prominent animal organizations, including Animal Libre (Chile) and Animal Law Reform South Africa. Moreover, he served as the Center for Animal Law Studies Ambassador for the 2021-2022 term, demonstrating his commitment to advancing the mission of the organization. Diego has also contributed his expertise as an associate member of the Animal & Biodiversity Think Tank Programme, affiliated with the esteemed Global Research Network. Furthermore, he has provided valuable insights and guidance as a consulting expert with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, further highlighting his extensive involvement in the field.

In 2019, Diego established the Center for Animal Law Studies CEDA Chile, and in 2021, he founded the Fundación Justicia Interespecie (Interspecies Justice Foundation in English). Presently, he holds the position of Executive Director at CEDA Chile, while concurrently serving as a Board Member of Justicia Intespecie, where he additionally oversees the fundraising division.
Diego has provided specialized opinions on upcoming bills, actively participated in various discussion forums addressing diverse animal issues and has been invited as a guest lecturer in animal law courses offered by Chilean, American, and European universities. Additionally, he is actively collaborating on various international animal projects.

In 2021, Diego was a key member of an international team, led by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, that achieved a groundbreaking milestone. The team successfully secured the recognition of a group of hippos as “interested persons” in a U.S. federal court proceeding, setting an important legal precedent.

Building upon this success, in 2022, Diego assumed the role of leading the strategic litigation team at the Interspecies Justice Foundation. Under his guidance, the team filed a historic habeas corpus petition on behalf of “Sandai,” a Bornean orangutan. This significant legal action marked the first-ever habeas corpus petition filed in Chile on behalf of a non-human animal.

In 2023, Diego, through CEDA Chile, achieved a significant publication milestone by releasing the collective work titled Animal Studies Dossier No. 1: A Legal and Literary Reflection on the Animal Question (Dossier de Estudios Animales N°1: Una reflexión jurídica y literaria en torno a la cuestión animal in Spanish). Diego served as the academic coordinator of this project, which brought together the insights and perspectives of 18 authors from various countries, including Chile, Mexico, Argentina, and Spain. The publication consisted of 50 physical copies that were distributed free of charge at esteemed locations such as the National Library of Chile and law school libraries across the country. Additionally, a digital version of the work was made available to the public at no cost.

Furthermore, in 2023, Diego made his debut as an author with his self-authored book titled Liberty, Equality and Abolition: Paving the Way Towards an Animal Post-Abolitionism (Libertad, Igualdad y Abolición: Construyendo el Camino Hacia un Post-Abolicionismo Animal in Spanish). This book presents Diego’s thought-provoking post-abolitionist views, which have garnered significant attention and interest both within Chile and internationally.

Diego’s current endeavors include serving as the academic coordinator for the second volume of the Animal Studies Dossier. Furthermore, he is actively collaborating with the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard Law School and the Max Planck Institute in the development of the forthcoming Handbook on Global Animal Law. This comprehensive publication is set to be released in the near future, further showcasing Diego’s involvement in advancing the field of animal law on a global scale.

Vanessa is an expert in animal law, government accountability, and illegal business practices. Her work has been featured by CNN, Fox News, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, USA Today, the Guardian, Science Magazine, and more. Vanessa co-founded and co-directs Advancing Law for Animals, a non-profit law firm for our non-human friends. There, she develops impact litigation to further the interests of animals exploited in research and industrial food production. Vanessa is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School and was awarded 2022-2023 SBA Adjunct Professor of the Year. She regularly gives talks as an invited expert in animal law both nationally and abroad.

Prior to animal law, Vanessa specialized in illegal taxation, consumer protection, and inverse condemnation, among other practice areas. Her track record in government oversight informs her work at Advancing Law for Animals, where she has successfully challenged cruel and illegally promulgated regulations at the federal level, and lack of animal-welfare enforcement at the local level. Vanessa continues to consult on a variety of legal matters through her private practice, Shakib Law, PC.

As Law School Programs Attorney, Alyssa manages the Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapters and all duties related to helping chapters succeed. She also assists in the development and implementation of the Animal Law Program’s law school initiatives. Alyssa is a 2020 graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. During law school, she served as a Source Checker of Animal Law Review, interned for the International Animal and Environmental Law Clinic, clerked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Center for Animal Law Studies, and was Pro Bono Chair of the school’s Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter. As Pro Bono Chair, Alyssa served as the law student representative on the planning committee for the 27th Annual Animal Law Conference. Alyssa was also selected by professors and faculty of her law school to join its Cornelius Honor Society largely due to her involvement in the animal law program. Alyssa completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Toledo where she majored in Law & Social Thought and minored in Political Science.

Alene Anello is the founder of Legal Impact for Chickens. Alene graduated from Harvard Law School, clerked for a federal judge, and then started litigating for animals. She has worked at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and The Good Food Institute. She is licensed to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia, and California. Alene is committed to helping chickens to honor the memories of her two beloved avian family members, Conrad and Zeke.

Adrienne Craig is a staff attorney with the farmed animal program at the Animal Welfare Institute, where she focuses on establishing protections for farmed animals in long-distance transport, strengthening state regulatory oversight of on-farm practices, and improving federal oversight of animal raising claims on product packaging. She spent much of her early career working hands on with animals before earning her J.D. magna cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School. Adrienne credits her love of farmed animals — and dedication to protecting their welfare — to her time spent as an animal caregiver at Animal Place Sanctuary. She is a Colorado native, but currently lives in Washington, D.C. with her Muppet-Chihuahua mix, Ellis.

Joan E. Schaffner, J.D., is an Associate Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. Ze received a B.S. in mechanical engineering (magna cum laude) and J.D. (Order of the Coif) from the University of Southern California and a M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Joan teaches Civil Procedure, Sexuality and the Law, and Legislation and Regulation. Ze is the editor-in-chief of the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal and is the faculty advisor to Lambda Law.

Joan is the Faculty Co-Director of the GW Animal Legal Education Initiative and advisor to the GW Animal Welfare Project and the GW Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter. Joan’s scholarship focuses on animal protection law. Ze has presented on animal law panels and conferences world-wide. Joan’s most recent scholarship has focused on free-roaming cats with the recent publication in Society and Animals entitled “Managing Our Relationship with Free-Roaming Cats in Zoopoland,” and the development of an international convention for animal protection with the recent article published in the Global Journal of Animal Law, and co-authored with Raj Reddy, entitled “The Convention on Animal Protection: The Missing Link in a One Health Global Strategy for Pandemic Prevention.” Joan is the author of the book Introduction to Animals and the Law, co-author and editor of A Lawyer’s Guide to Dangerous Dog Issues and Litigating Animal Law Disputes: A Complete Guide for Lawyers, and author of several book chapters including “Valuing Nature in Environmental Law: Lessons for Animal Law and the Valuation of Animals” in What Can Animal Law Learn from Environmental Law?, “Animal Cruelty and the Law: Permitted Conduct” in Animal Cruelty: A Multidisciplinary Approach, “Value, wild animals and law” in Animal Welfare and International Environmental Law: From Conservation to Compassion.

Joan is Past Co-chair and Policy Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) International Section, International Animal Law Committee; Past Chair and Newsletter Vice-Chair of the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Animal Law Committee; Founding Chair of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Animal Law; Fellow of Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics; and on the Board of the International Coalition for Animal Protection. Joan has received the ABA TIPS Andrew C. Hecker Memorial Award, the AALS Excellence in Animal Law Award: Scholarship-Teaching-Service, and the ABA TIPS Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award. On a personal note, Joan shares zir life with a magnificent family of felines.

Taylor Waters promotes animal law through the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Pro Bono program. Taylor earned a BA from Western Washington University and a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Taylor served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law while at Michigan State University. She received the Moot Court Oralist champion title and was a Kurth Moot Court Championship competitor. As a Scholar’s Day speaker at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Center for Law, Diversity, and Justice: Animal, Taylor’s presentation focused on dogs in Jurisprudence. Taylor also studied Comparative International Law in Bialystok, Poland and received the 2018 Michigan State Bar Association Animal Law Section’s Wanda Nash Award and the 2018 Ohio State Bar Association’s Environmental Law Award. Before joining the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Taylor was an active member in the organization’s Pro Bono Network. She has been involved with the organization since law school and deeply committed to the mission. Taylor’s publication in the Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law, “Passenger Pigeons: The De-extinction and Reintroduction of a Bird,” explores the laws surrounding the reintroduction of previously extinct species.

As a Senior Law School Programs Attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Priscilla Rader Culp develops and implements the organization’s Animal Law Program’s law school initiatives, including student chapter programmatic work, the annual Student Convention, scholarships, mentoring, and student events. As a 2016 Lewis & Clark Law School graduate, Priscilla interned with Mercy for Animals, clerked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Litigation Program and the Center for Animal Law Studies, and acted as co-director for the school’s Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter, winning Chapter of the Year Award for its work. Priscilla served as the 2014 student coordinator for the Animal Law Conference. Priscilla’s commitment to animal law has been recognized with the Animal Law Leadership Award, the Advancement of Animal Law Scholarship and the Richard J. Peppin Animal Rights Scholarship. Priscilla was also selected by professors and faculty of her law school to join its Cornelius Honor Society for her commitment to animal law and community support. Priscilla completed her bachelor’s degree at Pacific University where she studied philosophy, with a special focus on animal ethics.

Kaiti is in her third year at Lewis & Clark Law School, where she serves as one of the Co-Directors of the L&C Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) student chapter. She is also an active member of the Animal Law Review. Kaiti is currently a law clerk for ALDF’s Criminal Justice Program, where she assists attorneys pursuing justice on behalf of animal cruelty victims. Prior to starting her legal career, Kaiti earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where she majored in writing and rhetorical studies with a double minor in legal studies and public administration.

Taylor Waters graduated Magna Cum Laude from Michigan State University College of Law, where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law. Her paper, Passenger Pigeons: the de-extinction and reintroduction of a bird, was published the following year. Her particular areas of research focus on ethics and moral philosophy within the animal advocacy movement and between the human-animal relationship.

Jenny Bass is a 3L student at Vermont Law and Graduate School. She is hoping to work in international environmental and animal law. Currently, she is interning at C-Quest Capital and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. She has also worked with Materra, Transnational Environmental Law Practicum, and the Environmental Advocacy Clinic. She also has her MBA with an emphasis in Leadership.