Spotlight: Aryana Swanson

Aryana Swanson is the 2025 recipient of the Stacey Gordon Sterling Scholarship as part of the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Advancement of Animal Law Scholarship series.

What Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapter activities are you proudest of and why?

In addition to hosting a few lunch talks with animal attorneys, I introduced our chapter to tabling events. I am proudest of these events because of the sheer number of students we were able to reach. The first tabling event we did was “Dairy is Scary” on Halloween, where we served over 110 students with oat-based ice cream and had informational fliers about the negative impacts of dairy on the environment and animal welfare. We also hosted a Veganuary event, where we provided free vegan lunch to any student who agreed to take a pledge to go vegan for one week in January. Then, around finals season, we had an Earth Day study break with vegan donuts and coffee that more than 100 students attended. Students took the time to read our “fast fact” sheets, and many were eager to learn more about industrialized animal agriculture’s impact on climate change.

These events are meant to encourage law students to think about how their personal choices can impact animals positively and negatively. Many students at Northwestern will be entering big law firms after graduation, so we wanted to prioritize informing our classmates of various ways they can advocate for animals in their personal and professional lives, such as calling their aldermen to support a “fur ban,” taking on animal protection pro bono projects, or rescuing a companion animal.

Any other noteworthy experience?

My favorite memory from this past year was taking our chapter’s largest cohort of students to the Animal Law Conference in Portland, Oregon. At the conference, we met incredible attorneys, student leaders, and other professionals engaged with animal law. The speakers were inspiring, and it was a great way to learn about recent developments in the field, like project CETI. The Northwestern cohort made personal connections with students at other law schools, and we all explored the local vegan scene together in the evenings. I am really looking forward to the 2025 Animal Law Conference, and I hope to send an even larger cohort this year because it will be in Chicago.

What is an animal law related goal of yours for the upcoming academic year?

Right now, Northwestern has an animal law seminar, a food law elective, an annual animal law symposium, and our SALDF chapter. I feel really lucky that we have so many opportunities to engage with the field. My next goal is pushing for more practical learning opportunities related to animal law, such as an animal law lab. We could take on pro bono cases, assist in legislative drafting, write amicus briefs, submit public comments, and contribute to research projects in partnership with advocacy organizations. There are a few professors at Northwestern that I am working with to make this happen. Even if the lab does not happen this next academic year, I plan to implement more direct advocacy opportunities for our chapter members.

What are your plans/goals for post-graduation?

After graduation, I hope to build a strong foundation in litigation practice. I plan to focus on building my oral advocacy, research, and writing skills to become a skilled advocate. During my 1L year, I competed in a First Amendment moot court competition in New York. Last semester, I took Trial Advocacy and put on both a civil and criminal case. I really enjoyed advocacy at both the trial and appellate levels. Additionally, I plan to explore opportunities where my interests in strategic litigation and animal advocacy can intersect.

What is one piece of advice that you’d like to pass on to other Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapter leaders?

People inherently care about animals and their wellbeing, so I recommend trying to find creative ways to engage with the larger student body on animal protection topics. Free vegan food is always a great way to get people in the door, but law students are incredibly eager to learn about new topics. We have found that collaborative events with other student organizations on intersectional topics like climate change and racial justice have been especially successful. Making those connections is also vital for the chapter’s wellbeing and longevity. One of the greatest parts about being a SALDF student leader is being able to start a conversation about the interests that humans and animals have in common and then collaborate with others on creative ways to advance those interests for the benefit of all. You can start this conversation in a number of ways — host an academic debate, set up a table and hand out fliers, or screen a documentary. Get creative!

Learn more about the other 2025 Advancement in Animal Law Scholarship winners.