Caitlin Hawks

As managing attorney, Caitlin Hawks uses strategic impact litigation to expand the scope of legal protections available to animals under the law. Prior to joining the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Caitlin founded and oversaw the litigation division at the PETA Foundation. She has handled cases arising under the Endangered Species Act, consumer protection statutes, the First Amendment, public nuisance law, the Freedom of Information Act and state public records statutes, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Before transitioning to animal law on a full-time basis, Caitlin practiced complex commercial and intellectual property litigation at Milbank LLP in Los Angeles and Savitt Bruce & Willey LLP in Seattle, and handled a variety of animal law and prisoners’ rights matters on a pro bono basis. She received her law degree from the UCLA School of Law in 2008.

Caitlin lives in Seattle with her husband and their rescue mutt, Huddie. When she isn’t litigating, she spends her free time chasing live music and obsessing about her never-ending quest to make the perfect of loaf of sourdough bread.

See bar admissions of our attorneys.