Animal law is one of the fastest growing areas of legal practice. Expanding and enforcing legal protections for animals provides the framework within which all other welfare improvements occur.
Legal protection is the foundation of sustainable welfare improvement. Voluntary commitments and consumer choice, while valuable, create weaker and less enforceable protections than legal standards. The expansion of animal law as a field creates advocates, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to strengthening and enforcing protections. Each legislative victory — species recognition, expanded protection scope, stronger penalties — creates a new floor from which further progress can build. Investing in animal law contributes to every other welfare domain.