Animal Law Research

This research guide is geared to students at the University of San Francisco School of Law who are researching issues related to animal law. 

Animal law is a broad topic that may encompass the relationship between animals and justice through various lenses, including what justice for animals demands of us, legally, politically, and culturally; and how the animal rights movement intersects with movements for human social justice.

The following are just a few of the topics that may be included in animal law research:

• the entitlement of animals to just treatment under the law; 
• litigation strategies to establish justice for animals; 
• whether animals themselves have a concept of justice within their own communities; 
• the history of animal law; 
• the legal status of animals as property; 
• the concepts of animal welfare and animal rights;  
• anti-cruelty laws;  
• companion animals: torts, custody, puppy mills, housing, and service animals;
• on-farm laws, slaughter laws, ag-gag laws, and environmental laws; 
• wildlife laws; 
• animals in research; and
• animal law and criminal justice. 
   

• Finding a Topic for Your Law School Paper or Law Review Comment/Note

  A research guide presenting ways to identify a potential topic.

• Preemption Checking for Law Reviews & Journals

  A guide geared to USF law students, with explanations and links to key preemption checking tools.

• Law School Papers and Law Review Notes & Comments - Research Strategies

  A research guide with advice and sources for getting started on in-depth, scholarly research for law school seminar papers and similar projects.

This short book is filled with detailed, practical advice on all aspects of writing scholarly papers and articles.

Scholarly Writing for Law Students: Seminar Papers, Law Review Notes, and Law Review Competition Papers, 5th ed. by Elizabeth Fajans & Mary R. Falk

• Call Number: KF 250 .F35 2017 Law Open Reserve & Law Reserve

  ISBN: 1683282078

  Publication Date: 2017

  Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 are particularly useful. Chapter 2 is "Exploration: Choosing and Narrowing a Topic." Chapter 3 is "Inspiration: Finding and Developing a Thesis."