Category: Loyola Law School

January 25th, 2015

1/25/2015

Nicole Herft, Ph.D., J.D., co-founder and Chair of the Animal Law Guild, was recently invited to join the Executive Board of the National Coalition On Violence Against Animals (www.NCOVAA.org) based on her unique expertise as both an attorney leader in the field of animal protection law and as a psychologist with a background in market research and strategic planning. In her role on the NCOVAA board, this past week Nicole participated in the 2015 National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) Winter Conference in Washington, D.C. where FBI Director James Comey received the National Law Enforcement Humane Award - Person of the Year based on his recent approval of the recommendation to add animal cruelty offenses as a separate category in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR). NCOVAA (spearheaded by John Thompson, Interim Executive Director of the NSA) and its members played a key role in the positive recommendation for the UCR reporting change from the FBI’s advisory committees. The change in reporting means animal cruelty crimes will be classified as distinct Group A offenses, joining other major crimes such as arson, assault, and homicide, and will require the reporting of both incidents and arrests. It also will allow law enforcement to form a better understanding of animal cruelty behavior and develop evidence-based policies to reduce violence against animals and also violence against people and communities. In the upcoming year, NCOVAA will be assisting with the development and strategy to implement the new UCR reporting which will begin in 2016.

At the Animal Law Guild Conference 2015—“Collaboration in Animal Law
Combating Criminal Animal Cruelty and Puppy Mills”—leaders and experts will be discussing the new FBI reporting addition of animal cruelty crimes as a separate offense, as well as other leading-edge topics in the field of criminal animal cruelty. With an emphasis on collaboration and legal strategies, the goal of this animal law conference is to bring together, inspire, and educate attorneys, law students, and community leaders who share the Animal Law Guild's mission to Raise the BAR for Animals™ through legal advocacy. For more information about the Conference, which will be held on September 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, visit: www.AnimalLawGuild.org/about-the-conference.

The Animal Law Guild (www.AnimalLawGuild.org) is a nonprofit think tank of attorneys and law students dedicated to making the world a better place for the animals we share it with through legal advocacy.

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Shelley Rizzotti, Vice-Chair Animal Law Guild, slated to speak at the 2015 Helen Woodward Animal Welfare Center's Business of Saving Lives Conference

1/11/2015

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Shelley Rizzotti, Vice-Chair, Animal Law Guild, will be speaking alongside leading animal advocates from all over the country at the Helen Woodward Animal Center 's third international Business of Saving Lives Conference running February 5th through 7th, 2015 at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside Hotel.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, also known as "America's Toughest Sheriff" and renowned for instigating one of the most impressive and controversial programs in the world of animal welfare today, will join the slate of diverse speakers.

Shelley was invited to speak by the Center's President and CEO Mike Arms, who has been credited with saving more orphaned animals than anyone else in the history of the planet.

"Mike Arms is not only passionate about animals, but passionate about people, especially sharing his experiences and knowledge with the next generations of advocates - he freely shares resources and wants you to succeed," Shelley says. As an attendee and speaker of the 2014 Conference, Shelley said she not only took away a wealth of information and tools to run a small rescue organization (The Animal Protectorates - TAPS™) that she co-founded like a business, but also learned about "compassion fatigue" that is rampant in animal advocacy, no matter what sector.

For more information about the Conference, speakers and sessions, visit the Conference website at: http://www.animalcenter.org/BOSLConference/.

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Animal Law Guild Announces Date for 2015 Conference in Los Angeles

10/11/2014

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Los Angeles - On the heels of its exceptional sold-out inaugural event, the nonprofit Animal Law Guild announced today that it will host its next conference on September 26, 2015 in Los Angeles. At the recent "Trailblazers of Animal Law" conference, attorneys Nicole Herft and Shelley Rizzotti shared the inspiration that led to their formation of the Animal Law Guild. They described how they uncovered both an unmet need and an opportunity to bring together attorneys and law students from diverse backgrounds in a respectful and supportive environment that doesn't have any allegiances to a particular animal protection organization or political group. By doing so, the Animal Law Guild could function as a think tank focused on the underlying goal that its members all share in common - discovering ideas and creative solutions that continue to move the law forward for animals.

By all accounts, the Animal Law Guild is off to an impressive start. Attendees and speakers at the recent conference - featured in the Los Angeles Daily Journal on October 9 - described the event as "fabulous and inspiring," "an amazing launch for the Animal Law Guild," and "one of the best conferences I ever attended." The Animal Law Guild Conference 2015 is sure to be an event not to be missed. "The outpouring of interest that we've received from attorneys across the country and throughout the world has been incredible," said Nicole Herft, Chair of the Animal Law Guild. "We are planning an exciting program for the 2015 conference that will bring together, inspire and educate attorneys, law students, and animal advocates who share the Animal Law Guild's mission to 'Raise the BAR for Animals.'"

The Animal Law Guild is a nonprofit think tank of attorneys and law students dedicated to making the world a better place for the animals we share it with through legal advocacy. For more information, visit www.AnimalLawGuild.org.

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Animal Law Guild Presents Exceptional Inaugural Conference "Trailblazers of Animal Law"

10/2/2014

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Los Angeles - Lawyers and law students were treated to an exceptional program at the Animal Law Guild's inaugural sold-out animal law conference, "Trailblazers of Animal Law." The conference was held at Loyola Law School on September 27 and included attendees from across California and throughout the country. Nicole Herft and Shelley Rizzotti, founders of the Animal Law Guild and trailblazers themselves, secured an impressive lineup of legal heavyweights at the podium and in the audience. Bon Appétit Management Company, the first food service company to develop a comprehensive animal welfare plan, sponsored the event.

The program included topics for everyone. In private practice, Bruce Wagman and David Casselman, two well-known attorneys with a long history of animal cases, shared their career paths and precedent-setting cases. On the academic front, Sande Buhai, Loyola clinical professor of law, and Sonia S. Waisman, co-author of the first animal law casebook, now in its fifth edition, discussed animal law in the classroom and what the future may hold.

At the local level, Jason Insalaco, district director, assemblyman Mike Gatto; Deborah Knaan, L.A. Deputy D.A.; and, Tannaz Kouhpainezhad, Deputy A.G. at the California Department of Justice, provided an inside look at local government action in investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty. In the landmark case of People v. Chung, Ms. Kouhpainezhad argued successfully that exigent circumstances permit warrantless entry to aid a live animal being abused. The case is the first of its kind in the nation.

In a more sobering tone, frontline organizations Compassion Over Killing and Mercy for Animals were on hand to remind the audience of the work still to be done in farm animal protection. Cheryl Leahy and Vandhana Bala emphasized the importance of undercover operations in exposing cruelty in factory farms. Peter Brandt, Senior Attorney with The Humane Society of the United States, inspired law students with his "not to direct" career path to animal law. David Edward Burke, Expand Animal Rights Now COO, gave hands-on advice to anyone interested in a career in animal law.

"We are thrilled that the conference was such a success," said Nicole Herft, Chair of the Animal Law Guild. "This is the first step in bringing stakeholders together to 'Raise the BAR for Animals' and continue to move the law forward for animals."

The Animal Law Guild is a nonprofit think tank of attorneys and law students dedicated to making the world a better place for the animals we share it with through legal advocacy.

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January 25th, 2015

Shelley Rizzotti, Vice-Chair Animal Law Guild, slated to speak at the 2015 Helen Woodward Animal Welfare Center's Business of Saving Lives Conference

Animal Law Guild Announces Date for 2015 Conference in Los Angeles

Animal Law Guild Presents Exceptional Inaugural Conference "Trailblazers of Animal Law"

Raise the BAR

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