Animal Legal Defense Fund

Litigation programthe litigation program files high impact lawsuits against individuals and industries that exploit animals, including factory farms, puppy mills, research laboratories, and roadside zoos. The program litigates cases in state and federal courts with the goal of stopping abusive practices and setting groundbreaking precedent that will establish justice for animals in the Legal system. In addition to suing Animal abusers, the litigation program often sues state and federal governments and agencies to invalidate laws and regulations that harm animals; and intervenes in litigation to defend Animal protection laws when they are under siege from industries that abuse animals.

Legislative affairs programthe legislative affairs program works at the federal, state, and local levels with the goal of increased Legal protections. The program advocates for laws that promote or protect the lives and interests of animals and opposes legislation that would be detrimental to animals' well-being and interests. The program works closely with the Animal Legal Defense Fund's other programs to identify opportunities to create model legislation that addresses strategic Legal issues in the areas of civil and criminal law.

Criminal justice programthe criminal justice program is staffed by attorneys, including former prosecutors, with expertise in Animal protection. These attorneys provide free Legal assistance to prosecutors, law enforcement, and veterinarians handling Animal cruelty cases including: Legal research, professional trainings, grant funding to help cover the costs of caring for seized animals, necessary forensic work, and securing and funding expert witnesses including veterinarians, Animal behaviorists, and experts on organized Animal fighting and Animal hoarding. Additionally, the program works with state legislators to strengthen criminal Animal protection laws and produces model Animal protection laws and annual rankings report on each state's Animal protection laws.

Animal law programthe Animal law program works closely with law students, law school, and law professionals to advance the emerging field of Animal law in Legal education. Working to expand Animal law into the curriculum of every law school in the country, the Animal law program collaborates with students, faculty, and school administrations to facilitate the development of Animal law courses and assists students in forming Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapters.as part of the Animal Legal Defense Fund's Animal law program, the organization makes grants available to organizations, law centers, individuals, and Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapters at law schools across the country to support efforts to inform, educate, and take action to strengthen Animal protection laws. These Animal Legal Defense Fund grants are critical to encouraging the next generation of Animal lawyers. Grants and scholarships funded during the year ending june 30, 2022, included various donations to law schools, organizations, and individuals.pro bono programthe Animal Legal Defense Fund's pro bono program is the nation's largest pro bono network for Animal protection. The program partners with attorneys and pro bono coordinators across the u.s. to expand the practice of Animal law. Collectively, Legal professionals donate thousands of hours to the Animal Legal Defense Fund's cases annually. The donated value of services for 07/01/2021 to 06/30/2022, included in the total expenses of the pro bono program, was $2,137,143. The program also works to increase the understanding of Animal law in the Legal community by educating professionals at law firm and bar association events and keeping volunteers engaged and up-to-date on the latest developments in the field.special programsspecial programs arranges investigations of factory farms, puppy mills, and roadside zoos in order to substantiate evidence for civil litigation and potential criminal investigations. This program is also responsible for the immediate veterinary care and arranging transport of animals rescued via our Legal work and provides grants and sponsorships to other nonprofit organizations that provide sanctuary to the animals rescued via our lawsuits.public educationpublic education informs the public of, and facilitates support for, the organization's mission in protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the Legal system.