voiceless: the animal protection institute

Where to study Animal Law

Australia
In the last few years, the discipline of animal law has gained substantial momentum in Australia. We are pleased to be able to provide the following list of courses that we understand are currently available for those who wish to study animal law in Australia.

Australian National University (Canberra, ACT): 'Animals and the Law' is an undergraduate law elective which will be taught for the first time in Semester 1, 2009 by the Ven. Alex Bruce.
Bond University (Robina, Gold Coast, Qld): 'Animal Law' (LAWS13-216), which was taught for the first time in May 2008 was offered again in January this year. The course is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Cross-institutional study is available. The course is taught by Jackson Walkden-Brown and is next scheduled for the semester commencing January 2010.
Flinders University (Adelaide, SA): 'Animal Law' (LLAW2208) is being taught for the first time this year and is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Cross-institutional study is also available. The course is currently full and is scheduled to be taught in second semester 2009. For further details contact Lesley Petrie.
Griffith University (Nathan Campus, Qld): 'Animal Law' (5069LAW) is an undergraduate course which was first taught at Griffith Law School in January 2007. The course has been run annually since then and is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Cross-institutional study is also an option. 'Animal Law' is taught by Steven White and is likely to be scheduled as a Summer intensive during 2010.
Southern Cross University (Byron Bay Campus, NSW): This is an undergraduate course in SCU’s Summer School program. The course was last taught in December 2006.
University of Melbourne (Carlton, VIC): 'Animal Welfare Law' (730-458) is an undergraduate course which will be offered to students at Melbourne Law School in semester 2, 2010. Animal Law was also taught as an intensive LLM course, in November 2009. Cross-institutional enrolment enquiries should be directed to Melbourne Law School.
University of New South Wales (Kensington, NSW): UNSW, which was the first law school in Australia to teach animal law, introduced the course as a postgraduate elective in 2005. 'Animal Law' (LAWS3144) is now available to undergraduates and graduates interested in enrolling as a single (non-award) course. Others who would be interested in undertaking the course are encouraged to contact the course convenor, Tara Ward. The Course has been scheduled as an intensive course to be tauught between 11 and 17 January 2009/2010. Follow this link for further details.
University of Sydney (Camperdown Campus, NSW): 'Animal Law' (LAWS3088) is being taught for the first time this year and is available to undergraduate students. Cross-institutional study is also available. The course is is scheduled to run over 13 weeks commencing in semester 2 of 2009. It is also scheduled to run in 2010. For further details contact Celeste Black.
University of Wollongong (Wollongong, NSW): 'Animal Law' (LLB366) was first taught as an undergraduate elective subject in Spring 2008. The course, which is open to cross-institutional enrolment, is scheduled to be taught as an intensive on 4 consecutive Fridays during March 2010. For further details contact Elizabeth Ellis.

If you require further information about any of the animal law courses above, please contact the relevant Law School directly. If you wish to study animal law at a University that is not listed above, we encourage you to write to the Head of that Law School and enquire whether they intend to teach animal law in the future.

Please contact us if you hear about any other animal law courses that are not listed above or if you become aware that animal law is taught as a component of a course offered at your Australian law faculty.

For an interesting article which looks at the growth of animal law go to http://www.animallaw.info/, click on Volume 4 of the Journal of Animal Law (2008) and view the article by Peter Sankoff entitled 'Charting the Growth of Animal Law in Education'.

Overseas

New Zealand

Canterbury University Faculty of Law (Christchurch): Undergraduate course last taught in 2007.

Auckland University Faculty of Law: Animal Law was first taught as undergradate course in 2006. It has been taught every year since. The course, which is being taught by Peter Sankoff, will run again from 4 - 29 January 2009. Cross-institutional enrolment is available.
Massey University (offered as part of the Veterinary Law Course within the Masters of Veterinary Medicine Program).

United States

Animal law is now being taught in more than 110 law schools in the United States, including Harvard, Columbia and New York University. For further details about course offerings in the United States, we suggest that you visit the websites of the Animal Legal Defense Fund or the Center for Animal Law Studies.

Canada