America’s top animal lawyer to present free public talk

Apr 27, 2007

Professor Steven Wise, described by “USA Today” as America’s best-known animal lawyer, will present a free public talk in Wollongong on Thursday 3 May.

Professor Wise has been brought to Australasia by Voiceless, the fund for animals, and will present several lectures in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. Voiceless, an animal protection organisation established by Brian Sherman and his daughter Ondine Sherman several years ago, aims to promote respect and compassion for animals, increase awareness of the conditions in which they live and take action to protect animals from suffering.

Two years ago Voiceless hired Australia’s first full-time animal lawyer, Katrina Sharman, and its legal department is continually expanding.

Professor Wise’s Wollongong presentation forms part of UOW’s Legal Intersections Research Centre seminar series. There will be an opportunity for questions following the talk.

He is the author of the groundbreaking book, Rattling the Cage: Towards Legal Rights for Animals, which argued the case for granting legal rights to animals. The book has been described by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall as “… the animals’ Magna Carta.”

Animal law is taught at more than 80 universities in the United States, including leading academic institutions such as Harvard, Stanford and New York University School of Law. It is becoming a rapidly-growing discipline in Australia. Professor Wise was the first person to teach an animal law course at Harvard Law School and currently teaches animal rights law at Vermont Law School.

Elizabeth Ellis of UOW’s Faculty of Law has helped co-ordinate Professor Wise’s visit to Wollongong. Animal law is one of Ms Ellis’s research interests. She is also planning to introduce Animal Law as an elective subject in the LLB program at UOW in 2008.

MEDIA PLEASE NOTE

Date and time of free Wollongong public lecture: 3.30pm Thursday 3 May

Where: Faculty of Law Moot Court, Room 202, Bldg 67, University of Wollongong

RSVPs and further information: RSVPs are required. They can be sent to Ian Farrell at ianf@uow.edu.au or phone 4221 4293. Elizabeth Ellis is currently on study leave but media enquiries can be directed to her at eellis@uow.edu.au

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128