Animal Law (360-0-1)
Instructors
Nicolette Isabel Bruner
Meeting Info
Parkes Hall 212: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
Animals, both domesticated and wild, inhabit an uneasy space in American law. On one hand, they are legally property—possessions of a human or a state. At the same time, many animals benefit from legal protections that we do not grant to a rock or a robot. How did we develop our patchwork system of protections over animals? How do we determine which animals are protected and which are left as unambiguous "things"? And is there any way to regulate a nonhuman animal as something other than property? In this course, we will survey the legal status of nonhuman animals in US law, both for domesticated (livestock and companionate) and wild animals. Our aim will be to develop a practical, rather than an idealized, understanding of the US's patchwork of regulation regarding how nonhuman animals can and cannot be treated. Readings will include federal and state caselaw and statutes as well as secondary legal and historical analyses.
Pre-requisites: Legal_St 206-0 or Poli_Sci 230-0, or instructor approval.
Learning Objectives
1. Outline the history of regulating the treatment of nonhuman animals in the United States.
2. Explain the different regulatory schemata for livestock, domestic animals, and wildlife across state, tribal, and federal jurisdictions.
3. Critically read and synthesize relevant state and federal case law.
4. Apply their understanding of current US law to new situations involving both domesticated animals and wildlife.
Teaching Method
Discussion-based course meeting twice per week.
Evaluation Method
Case report, quizzes, midterm exam, final exam.
Class Materials (Required)
Eric T. Freyfogle, Dale D. Goble, and Todd A. Wildermuth. Wildlife Law: A Primer. 2nd ed. Island Press, 2019. (9781610919135)
Class Attributes
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area