SAN DIEGO, March 22, 2004 - The world’s animal lawyers are coming to San Diego to participate in an International Animal Law Conference entitled "Protecting Animals Through the World's Legal System." The conference will take place April 2-4 at California Western School of Law, in downtown San Diego. Speakers will address how the treatment of animals is impacted by laws and cultural practices around the world and what actions can be taken to improve animal welfare through the world's legal systems.

According to conference organizer Kristina Hancock, an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law who teaches Animal Law, the treatment of animals is emerging as the issue of our times. "Animal law is an area of law that is suddenly exploding in every corner of the world and animals have become an important part of the network of global commerce," says Hancock "We are bringing together authorities from all over the world in hopes of forming a global network and considering the viability of an international animal law treaty."

Steven M. Wise, founding director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and author of "Rattling the Cage," will present the conference’s keynote address, Friday, April 2, 6 p.m. at the U.S. Grant Hotel. The topic of the address is "Animals in our Human World." Wise has practiced animal protection law for twenty years and USA Today has deemed him "America's best-known animal lawyer." He has taught Animal Rights Law at Harvard Law School (he was the first professor to teach this class at Harvard), Vermont Law School, John Marshall Law School, and in the Masters Program in Animals and Public Policy at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. Wise is president of the Center for the Expansion of Fundamental Rights, has written numerous scholarly articles about animal rights, and has collaborated and communicated for years with leading scientists in the fields of primatology and animal intelligence and behavior. This opening night presentation, featuring a vegan dinner, is open to the public. Cost is $50 for those not registered for the complete conference. For reservations please call 800-633-5692.

Maneka Gandhi, previously India’s Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, is scheduled to join the conference via live Satellite or tape, on Saturday morning, April 3. Ghandi is founder and chairperson of People For Animals, India's largest animal welfare organization. She is also chairperson of the Committee on the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals constituted by the Central Government of India. While Ghandi was India’s Minister for Animal Welfare she created the Animal Welfare Ministry, the first of its kind in the world. She is the author of over 20 books, including an Animal Law text book that is used in virtually every law school in India.

Other speakers include Marc Bekoff, professor of Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, a Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society, and a former Guggenheim Fellow. In 2000 Bekoff was awarded the Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society for major long-term contributions to the field of animal behavior. Along with Jane Goodall, Bekoff co-founded the organization Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: Citizens for Responsible Animal Behavior Studies in 2000 <http://www.ethologicalethics.org/>.

The conference will include legal scholars and animal authorities from Africa, China, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland, as well as a panelist representing the world’s marine mammals.

You can also register for the complete three-day conference by calling 800-633-5692. Conference registration is $250 and CLE credits will be available. The conference is sponsored by California Western School of Law, the Committee for the Adoption of Global Standards on Animal Welfare, the Animal Legal and Historical Web Center, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the Animal Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association.

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