About Us
The Center for Animal Law Studies is home to the Animal Law Program and animal law projects and activities of Lewis & Clark Law School.
A thought leader in the field, CALS offers the most extensive animal law curriculum in the world—offering more than 25 diverse animal law courses, with 18 distinct courses in rotation each year. Lewis & Clark law students may also specialize in animal law by earning an Animal Law Certificate. CALS also offers the world’s first advanced legal degree in Animal Law, the nation’s first Master of Studies in Animal Law for non-lawyers, and the world’s first animal law doctoral program.
CALS was founded in 2008 through a collaborative effort between the Law School and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Lewis & Clark Law School had long been a leader and trailblazer in the field of animal law education dating back to 1992. It is home to the first legal journal devoted exclusively to animal law (the Animal Law Review), the first student animal law organization (the Lewis & Clark Animal Legal Defense Fund), and the world’s longest-running animal law conference, and the world’s first Dean of Animal Law. Today, the Animal Law Program reaches across the globe, with advanced degree alumni from over 28 countries.
CALS is a self-funded Center within the law school operating under the Lewis & Clark College 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and is only able to provide these educational opportunities through donations and grants.
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Educating the next generation of animal law advocates
and advancing animal protection through the law
