Earth Law and Animal Rights: The Evolving Global Landscape

A generation ago, the first judges and lawyers began to argue for ecosystems and animals to have legal rights to protect them from degradation. Since then, numerous jurisdictions have enacted or recognized certain rights of ecosystems and animals. This program will provide an overview of a rapidly developing area of law that could significantly impact resource extraction and other economic sectors and have wide-ranging impacts on public policy.

This course explores the history of arguments for the rights of ecosystems and animals, how lawyers are making arguments for these rights, and the reactions of courts and legislatures to these arguments around the world.

This course is ideal for practicing attorneys interested in environmental and animal issues, judges, court staff who may be called to consider such cases, and legal academics.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the prevailing legal view of rights for ecosystems and animals
• Evaluate the efforts to expand rights for ecosystems and animals in courts and legislatures
• Analyze the economic and philosophical arguments for and against the rights of ecosystems and animals