Natasha Dolezal, JD, oversees all aspects of the Animal Law LLM program. She also teaches the Animal Law Legislative Drafting and Lobbying course.
Ms. Dolezal began her legal career in the Oregon Legislature as a senator’s legislative assistant. In this capacity, she was instrumental in bringing the Senate Judiciary Committee to Lewis & Clark for a public hearing on various animal related legislation and successfully shepherding a bill recognizing the link between animal abuse and child abuse into law. Ms. Dolezal then transitioned to a position as a Deputy District Attorney where she prosecuted felony and misdemeanor crimes, including animal abuse cases. Prior to joining the Center for Animal Law Studies Ms. Dolezal was the Associate Director for State Relations at Oregon Health & Science University.
Prior to practicing law, Ms. Dolezal was involved in wildlife conservation in Kenya, performing conservation genetics research on various species and training, and caring for assistance dogs at a large nonprofit.