Amanda Hitt, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Animal Law and Policy Institute
Faculty Directory

Amanda Hitt

Titles

  • Director of Strategic Initiatives, Animal Law and Policy Institute

Degrees

  • JD, University of Baltimore School of Law
  • MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Contact

Biography

Amanda Hitt is a lawyer and advocate with more than fifteen years of experience advancing food system reform through law and public health. Her work sits at the intersection of environmental protection, animal welfare, food safety, and worker rights. She approaches law not as an end in itself, but as a practical tool for protecting the public’s health and addressing upstream corruption embedded in industrial systems.

Amanda received her juris doctor with honors from University of Baltimore School of Law and a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her academic training informs a career dedicated to prevention-focused solutions, regulatory accountability, and evidence-based policy. She previously served as a visiting fellow with the Brooks McCormick Jr. Animal Law and Policy Program at Harvard Law School, where she embarked on a book project exploring the U.S. food system through the lived realities of workers, animals, farmers, and affected communities.

Prior to her fellowship, Amanda founded and directed the Food Integrity Campaign at the Government Accountability Project, building it into a nationally recognized initiative focused on whistleblower protection and systemic reform across the food and agriculture sector. Her clients have included U.S. Department of Agriculture food safety inspectors working in ultra-high-speed slaughterhouses, contract poultry farmers facing exploitative contracts and retaliation, and researchers with firsthand knowledge of waste, fraud, and cruelty in taxpayer-funded programs.

In addition to litigating whistleblower cases, Amanda has led integrated policy, media, and public-facing campaigns. Her work has contributed to high-impact litigation, powerful coalitions, legislative oversight, administrative rulemaking, and shifts in public understanding. Amanda’s work and clients have been featured in major national and international media outlets.

Expertise

  • Animal Law
  • Environmental Advocacy

Departments

  • Animal Law