Good morning Family Law Section members,
On Thursday, Dec. 11, NJICLE will present Webcast- 2021 Animal Law Symposium from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Animal Law continues to be a practice area undergoing significant growth and change. The need to understand legal issues related to animals is becoming a necessity for practitioners in many areas of the law. No matter what area of the law you practice, the 2021 Animal Law Symposium will get you up to date on the latest developments in this ever-evolving practice area, including case law, regulatory changes, and legislative initiatives.
The symposium will be particularly useful especially to those who practice family, trusts and estates, and municipal law. If you don’t practice in any of those areas, but you have a pet of your own or you are simply an animal lover, this program is still for you.
FACULTY
Symposium Organizers/Speakers:
Michelle Lerner, Esq.
Former Policy Specialist, Animal Protection League of NJ
Co-chair, NJSBA Animal Law Committee
Paul Tartanella, Esq.
Former General Counsel, Blenheim Capital Management
Co-chair, NJSBA Animal Law Committee
Speakers:
Elenora Benz, Esq.
Elenora L. Benz, Attorney at Law, Newton
Founding member, NJSBA Animal Law Committee
Author of original 2001 pet trust statute, N.J.S.A. 3B:11-38
Gina Calogero, Esq.
Counsel, Argentino Fiore Law & Advocacy LLC, Montclair NJ
Past Chair, NJSBA Animal Law Committee
Counsel in Houseman v Dare, seminal New Jersey pet custody case
Akisha Townsend Eaton, Esq.
Pro Bono Program Managing Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Cotati, CA
Former Diversity Vice-Chair, ABA Animal Law Committee
Associate Fellow, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
Senator Raymond J. Lesniak
The Lesniak Institute, Kean University, Union
Former New Jersey State Senator
Melissa Martin, Esq.
President, Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER) Rights of Nature Campaign Team, Eugene, OR
Former Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Marine Corps
Former Adjunct Law Professor, Barry University School of Law
Professor Jessica Rubin
Director, Animal Law Clinic
University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, CT
PROGRAM AGENDA
9:00 Introduction - Paul Tartanella, Esq.
9:10 Keynote: Animal Law 101 - Akisha Townsend Eaton, Esq.
- Overview of what is included in "animal law"
- Types of legislation that affect animals
- Common issues affecting animals in litigation
- How attorneys can get involved in animal law as a career or by providing pro bono work
- Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of animal law, including, current initiatives at HBCUs
10:00 Incorporating animal law into other areas of practice1.
Family Law -
Gina Calogero, Esq.
- Pet custody issues in divorces and separations, including between cohabiting unmarried partners
- Protecting animals and victims in domestic violence cases
2.
Trust and Estates -Enabling your clients, both before and after death, to care for their animals -
Elenora Benz, Esq.
- Establishing pet trusts
- Comparing the original pet trust statute N.J.S.A. 3B:11-38 to the new UTC provision, 3B:31-24 Trust for Care of Animal, enacted in 2016.
- Other wills and estate issues concerning animals
3.
Municipal Law -
Michelle Lerner, Esq.
- Types of animal-related issues governed by municipal law
- Types of animal-related litigation in municipal courts
- Entities that pass animal-related ordinances and how to tell who has authority in a particular town, Council or Board of Health
- Ballot initiative option for passing ordinances in Faulkner Act towns, examples of animal-related ordinances passed in this manner in NJ, and steps for engaging in that process
11:00 Break11:10 New mechanisms for representing animals' interests in court1.
Historical precedent for granting animals representation in court, from Medieval Europe -
Paul Tartanella, Esq.
- A historical overview of criminal cases against animals in Medieval Europe in which animals were provided legal representation
- Lessons and tie-ins to current debates.
2.
The Guardian Ad Litem model: Desmond's Law a.
Desmond's Law in CT -
Professor Jessica Rubin
- History behind Desmond's Law in CT, which allows judges to appoint attorneys and law students to represent the needs of animals who are the subject of criminal abuse and neglect proceedings
- How the process works, what the attorneys and law students do review of how it's worked for the past few years and case outcomes
- obstacles and arguments against the program
b.
The Guardian Ad Litem model in NJ -
Senator Raymond J. Lesniak
- History of animal cruelty/ neglect cases and outcomes in New Jersey
- Outline of NJ bill based on Desmond's Law and how it would work in NJ if enacted
- Differences and similarities to CT's model
- How NJ attorneys can get involved if the bill becomes law
- Obstacles and arguments against importing this program to NJ
3.
Rights of Nature: Theory, Jurisprudence and Applications in Animal Law -
Melissa Martin
- Introduction to what the "Rights of Nature" concept is and what it isn't, along with the legal theories and constitutional principles which provide foundation for a doctrinal shift;
- Examples of how the Rights of Nature legal movement has manifested so far in the U.S. and across the globe, in both legislation and jurisprudence
- Various ways the Rights of Nature concept can be applied to heighten standards and procedural rights for animals across multiple legal disciplines
1:00 AdjournCLE Credits:NJ CLE information: This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 4.5 hours of total CLE credit.
NJ CLE: This program has been approved for 4.5 credits (50 minute hour
PA CLE: 3.5 substantive credits pending ($16 fee – separate check payable to NJICLE must be submitted at the end of the program)
NY CLE (nt): 4.5 professional practice credits
The tuition for NJSBA members is $145. The general tuition is $180.
Click here to register for Webcast- 2021 Animal Law Symposium.
For questions or to register by phone, please contact an association representative at 732-214-8500, or by email at
[email protected].
All the best,
Barb
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Barbara Straczynski
Director of New Media and Promotions
New Jersey State Bar Association
New Brunswick NJ
(732) 937-7524
[email protected]------------------------------