Denise Cartolano is currently an Attorney Advisor at the Department of Justice (“DOJ”). She obtained this position through the Attorney General’s Honors Program in 2016. In 2008, Denise graduated from Brooklyn College with a BA in Political Science. In 2011, she went on to obtain her A.A.S. in Veterinary Technology from LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York. In May 2016, Denise graduated in the top ten percent at Barry University School of Law with honors, magna cum laude. In December 2018, she received an LLM in Homeland and National Security Law from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Animals have always been Denise’s greatest passion. From feeding feral cats to volunteering at a local veterinary clinic in high school, she always involved herself in animal welfare. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, she took a managerial role at a dog daycare and training facility in New York City. In that role, her passion for dogs blossomed. She enrolled at LaGuardia College to obtain her degree in Veterinary Technology, and subsequently became a Licensed Veterinary Technician at a twenty-four-hour emergency veterinary hospital in Brooklyn, New York. After spending two years working as a veterinary technician, she decided to enroll in law school with the intent of working in animal law.
While enrolled in law school, Denise was a student member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (“ALDF”) chapter. She also became a law clerk for the ALDF, where she was able to research case law and statutes for the staff attorneys in various animal law topics. She was also a research assistant to Professor Randall S. Abate, where she edited multiple chapters for the professor’s book, “What Can Animal Law Learn from Environmental Law?” Denise was ecstatic to be mentioned in the acknowledgments for her work editing and proofreading the book.
Denise enrolled in the Animal Law LLM program to further her knowledge in animal law with the prospects of starting her own nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing laws against animal research. She is the recipient of the William C. Borst Anti-Vivisection Scholarship, which is a full-tuition scholarship for the duration of her LLM program.
Denise enjoys spending time with her two rescue dogs: Simba (a Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd mix) and Atlas (a Newfoundland). She is happiest when she is watching her dogs enjoy life as a dog: by playing, swimming, and hiking. Denise also has a seven-year-old daughter who inspires her every day and an amazing husband that loves dogs just as much as her. She also enjoys cooking and taking care of her backyard vegetable garden.