What Are Animals Legally, and Can They Have Rights?

The law says that animals are vermin, pests, specimen, livestock, endangered species, or if you're lucky a companion animal, and above all as property with no rights of their own. But the ecological and cultural reality is much different: animals are sentient beings, individual souls, sacred entities, even kin or ancestors to some. The program will explore how legal innovations can bridge what we know to be true about animals to what the law says they are, drawing from legal principles such as multispecies justice, the Rights of Nature, animal rights, and animal dignity. The program takes a deep dive on how to evolve the law to respect and protect animals, with case studies from across the United States and world. Attendees will come away with a working knowledge of the emerging legal tools and frameworks shaping animal protection today.