Our Work

Areas of Focus

Most of our work falls under one or more of the following subject matter umbrellas:

Wildlife

We are committed to protecting wild animals in Colorado and beyond. Statutes such as the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act provide a robust framework for protecting species, yet wild animals face extreme pressures worldwide. Not only is wildlife under threat on both the population and the individual level, but the statutes themselves are also under attack—now more than ever.

Our goal is to utilize the existing framework to meaningfully protect wildlife while simultaneously pushing for law and policy changes that enhance the conservation and well-being of wild animals.

Domestic & Farmed Animals

Domestic and farmed animals are among the most exploited in our society. Bred for human use and routinely denied basic needs, many of these animals endure lives of constant suffering. While laws exist to reduce harm, they are often weak, underenforced, and filled with exemptions. 

At Animal Counsel, we believe all animals deserve lives free from cruelty, regardless of species. We are committed to challenging the legal and cultural norms that allow this exploitation to persist. Our aim is to ensure the enforcement of existing measures while also strengthening inadequate laws so that these intelligent and vulnerable animals receive the protections they urgently need. 

Rights of Nature

The rights of nature is a relatively new legal approach that has recently surged in the environmentalist movement. The basic idea is that nature is not just a "thing" and instead has, or should have, legal rights. When the rights of nature work, they can protect animals, habitats, and even entire ecosystems.

The rights of nature and its overlap with animal rights are two of our biggest areas of interest. These two areas are expanding so quickly, both academically and in practice. Animal Counsel is dedicating to advancing both fields and working with others looking to do the same.

Projects

Most of our projects fall into these three broad categories:

Policy Work

We've worked on a number of projects to improve the well-being of animals through legal policy. 

Some of our work has been practical. From writing comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to collaborating with other nonprofits to draft new versions of state-level endangered species acts, we've been working on changing policy at both levels of government.

Other work has been more academic. Shelby recently published a paper on using the Clean Water Act to protect farmed animals. Aidan just published a paper uncovering new ways to use the Endangered Species Act to protect the Rice's whale. And at the moment, Mason is teaching and developing a class as an adjunct professor for the University of Colorado Law School where students will learn how to craft and publish academic arguments to protect animals through the law.

Litigation & Petitions

At this time, we do not bring any litigation or represent parties in court. However, some of our work has supported litigation that may be done by others. For example, we are collaborating with the Nonhuman Rights Project to produce a series of research documents on procedural law across the country. While we can't share any more about this project publicly, we're excited to see where it goes!

In addition, Shelby and our interns are working on a number of requests under various state and federal open records acts dealing with the deaths of captive animals.

Law School Programs

Our collaborative pro bono work was perhaps the highlight of our law school experience. From writing public comments, to publishing papers, and volunteering with other groups, we were always looking for something new and exciting to work on. Animal Counsel is still involved in doing this sort of work with the students at the University of Colorado Law School, as well as the Animal Legal Defense Fund's Animal Law Program.

We fully believe students can and should get involved in the public and academic processes. After all, so many law students are filled with the drive and knowledge to do good work. But there's not a lot of opportunities. So, at Animal Counsel, we want to give students the chance to get experience working on real legal issues in animal and environmental law. If you're a law student who's interested in getting involved as a volunteer or an intern, reach out! We may have something you can work on. Alternatively, if you have your own project idea and want help bringing it to life, let us know!