Critical Caselaw: An Animal-Forward Approach to 1st Amendment Jurisprudence
Presented 7/20/21
The art humans make and the spirituality humans practice have involved animals throughout time. As such, it is no surprise that animal cases have given rise to some of this nation’s most notable 1st Amendment rulings, both for freedoms of speech and religious freedoms.
The stories these cases tell are complex, and woven throughout is an often unspoken question: how significantly do the rights of animals weigh in the arena of human constitutional rights?
Join David B. Rosengard, Animal Legal Defense Fund Managing Attorney, for an exploration of these cases and their implications through the lens of animal law. In doing so, we will discuss not only court opinions and dissents, but also examine how considering these cases in the context of animal interests challenges established readings, untangles seeming contradictions, and helps us build caselaw that is better for humans and animals alike. A brief Q&A to follow.
This webinar has been pre-recorded. Watch it now!
Resources
- Supreme Court: Depictions of Cruelty
- Fifth Circuit Rules that Animal Crush Video Law Prohibits Obscenity and Congress Has Significant Interest in Preventing Animal Cruelty
- Critical Caselaw: An Animal-Forward Approach to 1st Amendment Jurisprudence – PPT Presentation (PDF)
- Lukumi at Twenty: A Legacy of Uncertainty for Religious Liberty and Animal Welfare Laws (PDF)
- The Church of Animal Liberation: Animal Rights as Religion Under the Free Exercise Clause (PDF)
- Three Hots and a Cot and a lot of Talk: Discussing Federal Rights-Based Avenues for Prisoner Access to Vegan Meals (PDF)
-
David B. Rosengard
Managing Attorney
Sign Up!
Join the Animal Legal Defense Fund's email list to stay up to date on lawsuits, legislation, and regulations affecting animals.
Focus Area
How We Work
Related
-
Animal Groups Refile Complaint Over Alleged Texas Slaughterhouse Cruelty
Animal law groups request accountability after a bull was shot four times with a rifleMay 11, 2026 News -
Imperiled White Lions Rescued from Texas Roadside Zoo to Receive Medical Care
The Animal Legal Defense Fund urged federal authorities to investigate the plight of two white lions who were apparently enduring severe physical and neurological distressMay 7, 2026 News -
Footage Reveals Imperiled White Lions Languishing at Texas Roadside Zoo
ALDF seeks federal investigation and confiscation of two white lions enduring severe physical and neurological distressMay 4, 2026 News
