LACBA Creates Animal Law Section

Increasing interest in animal rights prompts development of the association's 30th practice section

LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles County Bar Association's (LACBA) Board of Trustees has approved the creation of an Animal Law Section for members.

"Few lawyers work full time in this practice area, but animals' interests are increasingly being recognized within legal frameworks," explains Brad Pauley, an appellate lawyer at Horvitz & Levy and LACBA Immediate Past President. Pauley points to several legislative examples, including California's recent  Assembly Bill 1881, or "Dog and Cat Bill of Rights," which would have provided canines and felines freedom from neglect and abuse as well as the right to healthcare, nutritious food, and appropriate exercise.

In a 2022 poll, 60% of LACBA members showed interest in an Animal Law section.

Growing and complex, "animal law" may involve First Amendment and the rights of Free Speech, anti-SLAPP, so-called Ag-Gag Laws, the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, the legal status of animals, the intersection of law and ethics, and the varying degrees of limited protections that the law accords to animals. 

The new Animal Law Section is chaired by Terri Macellaro, an attorney and leading animal welfare advocate in Los Angeles.

On June 29, section organizers are hosting a free, inaugural membership drive and networking mixer from 6-7:30pm at the LACBA offices, 444 Flower St., in downtown Los Angeles.

About LACBA Sections

With the new Animal Law addition, LACBA now has an extensive list of 30 sections, each devoted to a specific area of law. Association leadership continuously works to revise and expand practice sections to better serve LACBA members, which include practicing judges and attorneys, retirees, and law students. Sections allow members to hone their careers while engaging in Southern California's legal system. General members pay $50 for a single section or $85 for an unlimited number of LACBA sections. More information can be found at LACBA.org.

About the Los Angeles County Bar Association

LACBA was founded in 1878 and is one of the largest voluntary metropolitan bar associations in the country. LACBA serves attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals through 30 Sections, various committees, networking events, live and on-demand CLE programs, and pro bono opportunities, as well as public service and informational resources.

SOURCE Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA)