Advertise on podcast: The Animal Law Podcast

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★★★★★

4.8

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117 reviews

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Join animal law professor and longtime activist Mariann Sullivan as she explores groundbreaking legal cases shaping the future of animal protection. Each episode features in-depth discussions with leading attorneys, scholars, and advocates about critical developments in animal law—focusing on significant court decisions and their enforcement. Whether you’re a legal professional, animal advocate, or concerned citizen, discover how case law is evolving to recognize and protect animals. From landmark litigation to emerging legal theories, the Animal Law Podcast makes complex legal issues accessible while examining their impact on animals and society.

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Check latest episodes from The Animal Law Podcast podcast

The Trump Administration Is Dismantling the Endangered Species Act

2026/09/25

In this episode of The Animal Law Podcast, Mariann Sullivan speaks with Eric Glitzenstein, Director of Litigation at the Center for Biological Diversity, about what he calls the most extreme attack on the Endangered Species Act in its history. They break down two unprecedented actions by the Trump administration: the elimination of the long-standing regulatory definition of “harm” that protected endangered…

Rescuing Baby Goats is a Felony?: Attorney Taj Uppal on Facing Prison for Saving Two Lives

2026/08/28

This month’s Animal Law Podcast features attorney Taj Uppal, who was arrested and charged with felony grand theft after rescuing two sick baby goats from Vera Goat Dairy, a California factory farm supplying Meyenberg Goat Milk to retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart. Uppal walks through the investigation that preceded the rescue, his arrest by Kings County Sheriff’s deputies, and the…

Building the Field: Inside the Animal Law Practice Association with Cheryl Leahy

2026/07/31

This week, Mariann Sullivan sits down with Cheryl Leahy, director of the newly launched Animal Law Practice Association (ALPA) at the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy, to unpack how the free program is training and connecting lawyers who want to build careers protecting animals. Cheryl explains ALPA’s two core pillars — a growing library of practical, topic-specific legal…

Wayne Hsiung’s Landmark Animal Rescue Appeal Wins Some, Loses Some: What It Means for the Right to Rescue

2026/06/26

Animal law attorney and activist Wayne Hsiung joins host Mariann Sullivan along with attorneys Chris Carraway and Steffen Seitz of the University of Denver’s Animal Activist Legal Defense Project to break down the California Court of Appeals decision in Hsiung’s criminal case—a pivotal ruling that overturned two of three trespass convictions stemming from actions at Sunrise Farms and Reichardt Duck Farm,…

When the Law Fails Farmworkers: J-1 Visa Exploitation, Labor Trafficking, and the Hidden Cost of Cheap Meat

2026/05/29

In this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, host Mariann Sullivan speaks with Amal Bouhabib, senior staff attorney at FarmSTAND, about a landmark federal lawsuit involving three young men from Guatemala who were recruited to the U.S. on J-1 cultural exchange visas and subjected to dangerous working conditions, fraudulent promises, substandard housing, and coercive threats at an industrial swine operation in…

Court Strikes Down Trump ESA Regulations — A Win for Endangered Species

2026/04/24

In a landmark ruling, a federal court in the Northern District of California struck down four of six challenged Trump administration regulations that had significantly weakened the Endangered Species Act’s core enforcement mechanisms. Host Mariann Sullivan speaks with Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Program Director at the Center for Biological Diversity, about the case — what was challenged, what the court decided,…

Canada’s Live Horse Exports: Fighting for Animal Transport Law Enforcement w/ Camille Labchuk

2026/03/27

When Canadian animal rights lawyer and Animal Justice Executive Director Camille Labchuk discovered that a Manitoba horse exporter had shipped 97 horses to Japan in December 2022 — on a rerouted flight projected to exceed Canada’s 28-hour transport limit and without a legally required contingency plan covering the full journey — she did something almost unheard of in Canadian animal law:…

Understanding EU Farmed Animal Welfare with Dr. Neil Dullaghan

2026/02/27

In this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, Mariann Sullivan sits down with Dr. Neil Dullaghan, political scientist and author of The Compassion Mandate: Remaking the European Union’s Leadership on Farmed Animal Welfare. Together, they explore the complexities and challenges of EU farmed animal policies. This episode explores: The historical progress and current state of farmed animal welfare in the EU.…

A Case of Significant Evil: Animal Law, Activism, and Constitutional Rights

2026/01/30

In this compelling episode, Mariann Sullivan interviews Wayne Hsiung and attorney Steffen Seitz about Wayne’s conviction following animal rescues at factory farms in California. The case hinges on several groundbreaking legal arguments, including the judge’s refusal to allow a necessity defense for rescuing suffering animals, constitutional concerns about the treatment of veganism as a belief system, and First Amendment implications for…

The Case of the Lobster, a “Living, Sentient Creature”

2025/12/26

In a bold legal challenge that could redefine animal protection law, PETA is taking on the Maine Lobster Festival for steaming 16,000 lobsters alive on public parkland. The case hinges on Maine’s unique animal cruelty statute that protects “every living sentient creature” – a definition that evolves with scientific understanding. PETA’s Director of Litigation, Asher Smith, explains their creative approach using…

Animals and the Constitution with Michael Dorf

2025/11/28

In this intellectually stimulating episode of the Animal Law Podcast, Mariann Sullivan speaks with constitutional law expert Michael Dorf about his innovative course “Animals and the Constitution.” Dorf shares how fundamental legal principles intersect with animal protection, revealing both the limitations and opportunities within our constitutional framework for advancing animal rights. This episode explores: Constitutional standing for animals: How courts determine…

The Case of the Overlooked Law: Challenging Animal Confinement Through Forgotten Legislation

2025/10/31

Attorneys Will Lowrey (Animal Partisan) and Jessica Blome (Greenfire Law) join Mariann to discuss their battle to use California’s century-old animal protection laws to help dairy calves confined in tiny hutches. Despite having clear evidence that a dairy farm was violating Penal Code Section 597t by denying calves adequate exercise, they encountered a frustrating maze of procedural obstacles that prevented them…

The Case of Banning the Truth in a Public Park | First Amendment, Animal Agriculture & Free Speech

2025/09/26

In this thought-provoking episode of the Animal Law Podcast, we dive into a First Amendment case that cuts straight to the heart of animal advocacy: can the government prevent activists from showing the public what actually happens to animals in industrial agriculture? Mariann speaks with Sara Berinhout of FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) and John Greil of the University…

Animal Law Breakthrough: Court Recognizes Dogs as Family Members with Christopher Berry

2025/08/29

This episode of the Animal Law Podcast features Christopher Berry, Executive Director of the Nonhuman Rights Project, discussing a groundbreaking court case that recognizes companion animals as family members in certain legal contexts. Mariann and Christopher explore how this New York decision challenges decades of precedent that treated beloved pets as mere property rather than family, potentially opening new doors for…

Challenging “Alligator Alcatraz”: The Legal Fight to Protect the Everglades with Elise Bennett

2025/07/25

In this compelling episode, Mariann Sullivan speaks with Elise Bennett, Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, about the lawsuit challenging the controversial immigration detention facility in Florida’s Everglades. Bennett details how this hastily constructed center in Big Cypress National Preserve threatens endangered species, water quality, and the integrity of a crucial ecosystem that has received billions in restoration funding…

Podcast reviews

Read The Animal Law Podcast podcast reviews

4.8 out of 5

117 reviews

★★★★★

ValRose233 2023/10/28

A+ Podcast

Interesting, timely, informative; this is a great listen for anyone interested in animal welfare or animal welfare law. Highly recommend!

★★★★★

KCHNC 2023/07/03

Excellent for anyone interested in animal rights

I am not a lawyer, but I am scholar who studies animal rights/welfare discourse. This podcast is very informative and engaging, and Mariann has a casu...

★★★★★

Marrajess 2023/06/07

Fascinating!

Unfortunately I’m not very knowledgeable about the law but I really enjoy this podcast. I don’t always understand everything and sometimes it goes ove...

★★★★★

Deeeev 2023/01/15

Fantastic podcast

Im into animal rights, but don’t know much yet. So im learning a lot here!

★★★★★

midas133 2022/12/29

Excellent, informative podcast

Very happy to have discovered this podcast!

★★★★★

EllieRobbins 2022/03/18

Great podcast

This podcast is really informative! I’m a second year law student and I haven’t gotten the chance to take any animal law classes but I am learning so ...

★★★★★

ken swensen 2021/10/29

an expert guide

Great podcast for animal advocates that want to understand the power and shortcomings of our legal system. Mariann is an expert guide. She's smart, in...

★★★★★

caroline voldstad 2020/11/02

Necessary and enjoyable

This podcast offers such an engaging and accessible way to dive into so many of the different branches of animal law and animal welfare issues- highly...

★★★☆☆

Cathyvil 2020/10/07

The Guests are Interesting

I enjoy the guests but this gets three stars as i find the host sanctimonious, self-righteous, and narcissistic to a fault that can detract from the i...

★★★★★

Joan O’Brien 2020/08/31

Engaging and informative

I’ve learned a great deal about animals and the law from this podcast and appreciate the host’s no-nonsense speaking style and biting humor.

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