Animal Law Guild Conference 2015
AGENDA

Animal Law Guild Conference 2015 is the second annual conference for the Animal Law Guild. This year's conference will focus on two wide-reaching areas of animal law – criminal animal cruelty and puppy mills – where collaboration has been and continues to be a critical factor in advancing legal protections for animals.  This exciting animal law conference will feature leaders from across the nation who have been instrumental in moving the law forward and expanding protections for animals in these areas through legislation, litigation, criminal prosecution, lobbying, education, grassroots advocacy, literature and film.
COLLABORATION IN ANIMAL LAW: 
Combating Criminal Animal Cruelty and Puppy Mills

Saturday, September 26, 2015
All conference sessions will take place in the Robinson Courtroom (G102) of the Girardi Advocacy Center at Loyola Law School’s downtown Los Angeles campus.  The Networking Reception will begin directly after the panels conclude, in the patio outside of the Girardi Advocacy Center. 

Click HERE for a Loyola Law School campus map

7:30-8:45 a.m.  Registration & Continental Breakfast
Patio outside of the Girardi Advocacy Center

8:45-9:10 a.m.  Welcome to Loyola Law School & Introduction to Animal Law Guild Conference 2015  
• Sande Buhai, Clinical Professor & Director of Public Interest Dept, Loyola Law School  
• Nicole Herft, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Associate, Winston & Strawn LLP & Chair, Animal Law Guild   

9:10-10:50 a.m.  COMBATING ANIMAL CRUELTY THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM   
• Joan Schaffner, Associate Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School
• Sherry Ramsey, Esq., Director of Animal Cruelty Prosecutions, The Humane Society of the United States
• Robert Ferber, Animal Welfare Attorney, retired Los Angeles City Prosecutor
• Introduction by: Deborah Knaan, Deputy District Attorney and Supervisor, Animal Cruelty Division at Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
In this session, Professor Joan Schaffner will discuss how the law can capitalize on the link between animal cruelty and human violence at each stage in the cycle of violence—from pre-abuse through sanction and rehab after the abuser is found guilty—to better protect all victims of abuse and incentivize enforcement of animal cruelty laws.  Sherry Ramsey will then cover essential tools in enforcing, charging and prosecuting animal cruelty cases, important sentencing considerations and a discussion of California law.  Finally, Bob Ferber will discuss the trials and tribulations of investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases and the importance of collaboration based on his work as the first full-time animal cruelty prosecutor in the nation.

10:50-11:05 a.m.  BREAK  

11:05-11:35 a.m.  SPOTLIGHT ON ANIMAL FIGHTING 
• Michelle Welch, Senior Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Animal Law Unit at the Virginia Attorney General's Office
• Introduction by: Nicole Herft, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Associate, Winston & Strawn LLP & Chair, Animal Law Guild
Michelle Welch will explore how animal fighting prosecutions have changed after the Michael Vick case and how the dogs are now assessed as individuals.  She will address the unique challenges involved in investigating and prosecuting large animal fighting cases and the issues involved with the different types of animal fighting cases.  Michelle will also discuss exciting trends in the prosecution of animal fighting. 

11:35 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  INSPIRING A CULTURE OF COMPASSION: Preventing Animal Cruelty through Humane Education 
• Meena Alagappan, Esq., Executive Director, Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART)
• Introduction by: Nicole Herft, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Associate, Winston & Strawn LLP & Chair, Animal Law Guild
Meena Alagappan will provide an overview of humane education laws in the United States, ways to improve their enforcement, and the important role of attorneys in advocating for widespread humane education implementation.  Meena will also discuss the work of Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART), sharing some of HEART’s animal protection curriculum, student service projects to help animals, advocacy efforts, and program evaluation results.

12:00-1:15 p.m.  LUNCH (A few words from our lunch sponsor/provider Whole Foods Market, followed by lunch break in the patio area outside of the Girardi Advocacy Center)

1:15-1:40 p.m.  EMPOWERING ADVOCACY THROUGH LITERATURE: Shining a Light on Puppy Mills Through the True Story of One Dog’s Journey  
• Carol Bradley, Author, “Saving Gracie: How one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mills”  
• Introduction by: Sonia Waisman, Partner, McCloskey, Waring & Waisman LLP & Co-Chair, Animal Law Guild Conference 2015
Carol Bradley will introduce puppy mills from an investigative journalist’s perspective, having researched the puppy mill industry and tracked the inspection and raid of a large puppy mill, prosecution of the owner/operators through trial, and the journey of one dog from that mill into a loving home, when writing her book.  She will provide an overview of the collaborative efforts of many individuals, non-profit agencies and government officials to address the puppy mill problem, including the efforts of some of the Conference speakers and/or their organizations.

1:45-3:00 p.m.  FROM LEGISLATION TO LITIGATION: Progress and Hurdles in the Puppy Mill Battle   
• Gina Miller, Esq., Manager, Puppy Mills Campaign, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty 
• Bruce Wagman, Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP    
• Introduction by: Sonia Waisman, Partner, McCloskey, Waring & Waisman LLP & Co-Chair, Animal Law Guild Conference 2015
In this session, Gina Miller will explore the backdrop of current federal, state and local laws regulating puppy mills and pet stores.  She will discuss the ASPCA’s role in enacting effective local laws that restrict the sale of commercially-bred dogs in pet stores, including consideration of laws targeting four different components of the puppy mill industry, and potential setbacks, as well as successes, with each.  Animal law litigator, author and adjunct law professor Bruce Wagman will then discuss litigation that has ensued after enactment of these statutes, including legal arguments raised by both sides, the status or outcome of these cases, and any lessons learned for future legislative efforts.

3:00-3:15 p.m.  BREAK 

3:15-4:10 p.m.  COMMUNITY-BASED COLLABORATION: The Power of Local Lobbying, Advocacy, and Education in Cracking Down on Puppy Mills 
• Bob Baker, Executive Director, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation    
• Elizabeth Oreck, National Manager, Puppy Mill Initiatives, Best Friends Animal Society    
• Introduction by: C. Sepi Yagoobian, Attorney at Law & Vice Chair, Animal Law Guild Conference 2015
In this session, Bob Baker will explore the tortuous history behind Missouri’s Canine Cruelty Prevention Act (CCPA) and its impact in the long-running battle against puppy mills in Missouri, a state with the largest number of puppy mills in the country.  He will also discuss the next chapter in the fight against puppy mills on a nationwide scale through the USDA and enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act.  Elizabeth Oreck will then highlight successful strategies Best Friends has utilized to address the puppy mill problem at the local level through legislation, advocacy, education and adoption, specifically focusing on retail pet sales ordinances, and recent victories and challenges from opposition groups.      

4:15-4:40 p.m.  NOT JUST IN THE U.S.: The International Puppy Mill Problem and Efforts to Address It  
• Thomas G. Kelch, Professor of Law, Whittier Law School 
• Introduction by: C. Sepi Yagoobian, Attorney at Law & Vice Chair, Animal Law Guild Conference 2015
Law professor and legal scholar, Tom Kelch, will present an overview of the nature and extent of, and legal efforts to curtail, puppy mill-type operations outside of the U.S.  His presentation will include consideration of any successful approaches to shut down such operations, which may be useful to efforts within the U.S.  He will also discuss recent efforts by the U.S. government to end the importation of puppy mill dogs into this country. 

4:45-5:00 p.m.  BREAK 

5:00-5:50 p.m.  “JOURNEY FOR CHANGE”: From Dog by Dog to Dismantling the Puppy Mill System
• Shelley Rizzotti, Esq., Co-founder, The Animal Protectorates & Vice Chair, Animal Law Guild 
• Christina Ksoll, Executive Producer, DOG BY DOG 
• Christopher E. Grimes, Director, DOG BY DOG 
• Introduction by: Nicole Herft, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Associate, Winston & Strawn LLP & Chair, Animal Law Guild
In this session, Shelley Rizzotti will highlight different ways attorneys and law students can combat puppy mills on a local level using her own work as an example, which has ranged from rescuing dogs to getting puppy mill legislation passed in her home town of Burbank to formation of the local nonprofit The Animal Protectorates, and to the opening of “Operation Adopt,” the first nonprofit rescue-only pet store and humane education center in Burbank.  Filmmakers Christopher Grimes and Christina Ksoll will then discuss their documentary DOG BY DOG, which aims to wake up the American public to the horrible realities of puppy mills—by following the money trail across the United States and confronting those that have maintained this corrupt and irresponsible system—in order to move toward a kinder and gentler system.

5:50-6:00 p.m.  CLOSING REMARKS 
• Nicole Herft, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Associate, Winston & Strawn LLP & Chair, Animal Law Guild
• Shelley Rizzotti, Esq., Co-founder, The Animal Protectorates & Vice Chair, Animal Law Guild 

6:00-8:00 p.m.  NETWORKING RECEPTION 
Join the Animal Law Guild team and conference speakers for appetizers, treats, and refreshments in the patio just outside the Girardi Advocacy Center.