Animal Law and Policy Careers

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Launch your career advancing legal protections for animals with a law or graduate degree from VLGS!

Animal law and policy is a rapidly growing field with expanding career pathways. Animal advocates include attorneys, lobbyists, consultants to non-profits, animal care professionals, authors, professors, politicians, serve in government agencies, and in so many other capacities. Others have successfully incorporated animal law into their private practices, or provide pro bono services. Attorneys advocate for animal interests in civil matters including animal custody disputes, wrongful death, pet trusts, consumer protection, and veterinary malpractice. They protect animals who are victims of crimes in local, state, and federal jurisdictions. Advocates also lobby for more legal protections, and expand regulatory and enforcement efforts through specialized divisions in federal and state departments.

VLGS has long been a leader in the field of animal law and policy, and graduates haven been making a difference in the lives of animals for decades. VLGS alumni have successful animal law practices, and hold positions in animal advocacy, wildlife conservation, and environmental protection organizations such as:

Senior Staff Attorney, Humane Society of the United States
Captive Animal Law Enforcement Counsel, PETA Foundation
Founder, Animal Law Source and the Animal Law, Enforcement, Veterinary and Shelter Symposium
Director of Farm Animal Welfare Policy, ASPCA
Senior Staff Attorney of the Criminal Justice Program, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Director of Wildlife Law, Friends of Animals
Chief Deputy State’s Attorney (VT) specializing in animal cruelty prosecutions
Ocean Rights Manager, Earth Law Center
Legal Counsel, Animal Outlook
Senior Staff Attorney, Nonhuman Rights Project
Founder, Animal Partisan
Partner, Evans & Page
Vice President for the Animal Cruelty and Fighting Campaign, Humane Society of the United States
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Regulatory Affairs, PETA Foundation
Associate Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity
Staff Attorney & Assistant to the Chairman, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Current Job Openings (December 2023)

ASPCA: Manager, Cause Partnerships and Events; Manager, Education & Training - Community Cats
ALDF: Internships and Fellowships; Legislative Affairs Manager
Animal Outlook: Summer Legal Advocacy Internship
Animal Partisan: Legal Intern
Animal Protection New Mexico: Government Affairs Director
Animal Welfare Institute: Internships; Policy Analyst, Animals in Laboratories Program; Staff Attorney/Senior Attorney, Terrestrial Wildlife Program; Farmed Animal Law and Policy Internship
Animal Wellness Action: Oklahoma State Director
Brooks Institute: Fellowships
Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law: Fellowships
Center for Biological Diversity: Spring Law Clerk; Senior Attorney, Endangered Species; Government Affairs Summer Law Clerk (Washington DC); Carnivore Conservation Staff Attorney; Summer Law Clerk (Florida/Caribbean)
Climate Change & Animal Agriculture Litigation Initiative: Summer Legal Research Assistants
Boston Dog Lawyers: Attorney
CIEL: Summer 2024 Internship (Washington, DC); Summer 2024 Internship (Geneva)
ClimateWorks: Director, Food and Agriculture Program
Defenders of Wildlife: Legislative Analyst; Representative, Government Relations; Senior Attorney; Senior Advisor, Northwest Program
Earth Law Center: Internships
Earthjustice: Associate Attorney opportunities; Earthjustice Action Political Director; Sr. Legislative Representative/Counsel
Endangered Species Coalition: Policy Advisor
Environment America: Federal Legislative Advocate
FarmSTAND: Legal Administrative Assistant
Food Solutions Action: California Policy Manager
Good Food Institute: Legislative Director
Greenfire Law: Associate Attorney; Summer Law Clerk
Harvard Law School: Clinic Director and Visiting Clinical Professor
Humane Society of United States: Senior Specialist, Legislative, HSLF; Senior Staff Attorney, Farm Animal Law; State Director, Minnesota; State Director, New Jersey; HSLF, Spring Internship; Public Policy Specialist - Puppy Mills; Intern, Law Clerk - Summer 2024
Legal Impact for Chickens: 2024 Summer Intern
Mercy For Animals: Law Scholars for Change Summer Internship
NRDC: Internships; Summer 2024 Legal Intern
Nonhuman Rights Project: Executive Director
Northwest Animal Rights Network: Internships
Oceana: Senior Counsel; Policy Intern; Senior Field Representative - New York
PETA: Campaigns; Litigation Counsel; Litigation Fellow
RedRover: President & CEO
US Library of Congress: Analyst, Natural Resources (Fish and Wildlife)
World Wildlife Fund: Assistant General Counsel; Policy and Government Affairs Spring Intern; Program Associate, Policy and US Government Affairs; Program Officer, US Government Partnerships

Resources for Job Seekers

ANIMAL LAW AND POLICY INSTITUTE

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