Confronting Barriers to the Courtroom for Animal Advocates: Legal Standing for Animals and Advocates

Authors

David Cassuto, Pace Law School
Jonathan Lovvorn
Katherine Meyer
Joyce Tischler

Author Details

Jonathan Lovvorn is the Vice President and Director of Animal Protection Litigation at The Humane Society of the United States. Joyce Tischler is a Founding Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

First Page

61

Abstract

Panelists: David Cassuto, Jonathan Lovvorn, and Katherine Meyer

Moderator: Joyce Tischler

For animal advocates, one of the most significant barriers to the courtroom is standing. In order to litigate on behalf of an animal’s interests in federal court, the advocate must first establish standing by meeting three requirements: (1) the plaintiff must have suffered an injury in fact, (2) the injury must be causally connected to the act about which the plaintiff is complaining, and (3) the court must be able to redress the injury. When it comes to non-human animals, how does an advocate demonstrate an injury to establish standing? In this panel, experts in animal litigation discuss the concept of establishing legal standing for animals and animal advocates; the panelists’ own experiences, including specific cases and creative methods used; and the future of legal standing for animals.

Recommended Citation

David Cassuto, Jonathan Lovvorn, Katherine Meyer & Joyce Tischler, Confronting Barriers to the Courtroom for Animal Advocates: Legal Standing for Animals and Advocates, 13 Animal L. Rev. 61 (2006).
Available at: https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/alr/vol13/iss1/5