Caitlin Kelly

As a Legislative Affairs Fellow for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Caitlin (Cat) Kelly works with the Legislative Affairs Program to advocate for laws that promote and protect the lives and interests of animals. Cat Kelly earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies at the University of Washington where she cultivated her passion for livestock-free and sustainable agriculture. She took that passion with her to law school at Lewis & Clark where she earned her J.D. and a certificate in animal law.

At law school, Cat was a part of the Animal Law Review, served as the 1L Representative of Lewis & Clark’s ALDF Student Chapter, and became the Pro Bono Chair of that chapter. She received the 2021 Law Scholars for Change Scholarship and was awarded the Center for Animal Law Studies’ first Animal Law Tuition Scholarship for 2022-2023 to help fund her animal law curriculum at Lewis & Clark in recognition of her dedication to the field of animal law. During her third year of law school, she also wrote and published an article in Lewis & Clark’s Animal Law Review titled “Exploited: The Unexpected Victims of Animal Agriculture” where she analyzes the lack of adequate legal protections for migrants, prisoners, and children working in animal agriculture.

Outside of work, Cat spends her time foraging, paddleboarding, and backpacking in the North Cascades when she isn’t busy reading or working in her garden. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her fiancé, their two cats, Mango and Maple, and their leopard gecko, Khonshu.