On March 24, Professor Laura Fox (JD/MELP’13) and Jennifer Bass (JD’24) presented at GWU Law School’s Animals and the Anthropocene: A Legal Scholarship Symposium in Washington, DC.

Law student Jennifer Bass (pictured right, below) was a discussant on Julie Palais’ work-in-progress: Nepal in the Anthropocene: A Proposal to Promote Animal Protection and Value of the Environment, and presented her work-in-progress: When the Rubber Met the Road . . . Then the Water, Fish, and Whales: Using the Endangered Species Act to Overcome the Dilution of the Clean Water Act.

The Animal Law and Policy Institute is dedicated to mentoring students and funding opportunities for budding animal advocates to collaborate with peers and scholars, and was proud to support Ms. Bass's participation. Ms. Bass shared, “As someone with a writing disability, I have struggled with the confidence to write let alone to share my work. Being able to stand on the same stage as seasoned professionals has given me the confidence to pursue positions that require writing.” 

Professor Fox was a discussant on Caitlin Foley’s early idea: Animals Are Less than Property? Judicial Reticence in Finding Spoliation for Animals Killed During Litigation, and presented her work-in-progress: Big Ag is the Next Big Oil: How Liability Insurers and Reinsurers Should Prepare for Climate Change Litigation with discussant Danny Waltz.

She also found the symposium to be helpful and inspiring stating, “The invaluable feedback and constructive criticism I received from my peers at the symposium greatly contributed to refining my work and will make my paper even stronger. Engaging in such a collaborative intellectual exchange fosters the development of well-rounded, impactful legal scholarship that can help drive meaningful change in our world. It's exciting to be part of a community that's working together to make a difference!"