Spotlight: Paige Scatena

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

I am most proud of the growing interest in animal law at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (UIC) and creating opportunities for students to directly contribute to creating real change for animals. This past academic year was the second year of UIC’s SALDF chapter and it has been exciting to see it continue to grow. We continued to offer opportunities for students to learn more about animal law and gain hands-on experience advocating for animals. We hosted the Founder of Chicago Alliance for Animals, a local animal protection organization, to discuss victories for animals right here in Chicago and ways students can get involved to help further protect animals locally. We partnered with UIC’s Animal Law Program to host a hybrid discussion with Melanie D.G. Kaplan the author of Lab Dog. We also hosted Madeline Krasno to speak about the legal, ethical, and human dimensions of animal research in partnership with UIC’s Animal Law Program. Madeline provided a unique perspective about animal research being both a former primate caretaker and plaintiff in two successful First Amendment cases. 

I am also the President of the Chicago Animal Law Student Initiative (CALSI) which brings together local attorneys and law students to collaborate on more hands-on projects that will help animals. We collaborated with other Chicago SALDF chapters as well as other law student groups this year. We drafted legislation that would ban glue traps in Illinois and hosted multiple tabling events in order to create awareness about the cruelty of these traps. We encouraged students to email their representatives to support the legislation. We will continue to work on this project in the coming year. We also coordinated a group of students to write a public comment regarding USDA’s proposal to increase slaughterhouse line speeds.

Any other noteworthy experience?

This year the Animal Law Conference was in Chicago and members of UIC’s SALDF chapter attended the conference together. We had a wonderful experience connecting with attorneys, advocates, scholars, and fellow law students who all are trying to create a more just and compassionate world for animals. It was empowering to be surrounded by such dedicated and passionate individuals. It was both a fun and informative experience and we are looking forward to the 2026 Animal Law Conference! I also had the opportunity to attend the Brooks Annual Animal Law Student Summit at NYU this Fall. It featured a full day of expert-led panels and group discussions. I enjoyed connecting with professionals and students in the field and discussing our interests and research. It was exciting to reconnect with people I had met at the Animal Law Conference and reminded me why this community is so amazing!

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

A goal for this upcoming academic year is to continue working on the glue trap ban legislation and ultimately have it pass. I intend to leverage what we learned during our initial efforts to continue pushing this legislation forward and create real change for animals in our state. My goal for next year is to continue to offer projects that will have a lasting positive impact, inspire students to get involved in animal protection, and provide invaluable hands-on experiences. I aim to organize events that will not only help students learn more about animal law and animal issues but also have a real impact. Since this was only our second year on campus, we want to continue to become more active and we hope that both our SALDF chapter and the Animal Law program continue to grow at UIC.

What are your plans/goals for post-graduation?

After graduation, I would like to work for an organization that is contributing groundbreaking work in animal protection. I am currently interested in pursuing litigation, specifically cases involving “humane washing” or the exploitation of animals used for entertainment. However, I am still open to the exact type of work I will be doing after graduation. Ultimately, my goal is to establish legal precedents that expand the protections and rights of animals. I have also learned that I enjoy student outreach and education, so I’m interested in eventually teaching Animal Law courses as well. I intend to leverage my background in activism and strategic campaign planning to support the development of impactful animal protection litigation as well as animal law courses.

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

One piece of advice that I’d like to pass on to other ALDF student chapter leaders is to not get discouraged. It can be disheartening if an event you plan has a low turnout, but it is important to remember who you are doing this for, the animals. You are making an impact whether you have 5 attendees or 35. I have seen firsthand the ripple effect one person can create. Over 10 years ago, one dedicated activist changed my entire life. That single conversation led me to become vegan, an animal rights activist, and ultimately dedicate my career to this movement. Since then, my entire family has gone vegan and become activists themselves. This demonstrates that the dedication of one individual can have a lasting impact. You should not become discouraged if you only speak to one person during a tabling event. That interaction can be a turning point that inspires them to do great things for animals. It is important to remain positive and continue advocating for animals. Your dedication for the movement will inspire others to do the same. Use your passion to organize consistent events on various topics to keep members interested and hopefully also recruit new ones. It is helpful to offer opportunities in different formats as well. This helps ensure there is something everyone will enjoy whether that be a speaker presentation, a volunteer day, tabling, a social event, or helping draft legislation. There are so many avenues to help animals and build community, and we should take advantage of every one. Animals are being exploited and we have the power to foster change and inspire future lawyers to make the world a more compassionate place for animals. Use every obstacle as fuel to become more creative, inspired, and dedicated to do more for animals.

Learn more about the other 2026 Advancement in Animal Law Scholarship winners.