ARLAN WEB SITE OF THE MONTH - FEBRUARY 2003

The International Institute for Animal Law
http://www.animallawintl.org

By Stephen Gallaugher

The International Institute for Animal Law has very similar objectives to ARLAN in that they were established to encourage the development of legal scholarship and advocacy skills on behalf of animals.

Included in the website are links to news and resources that the group has published. Furthermore, The Institute directs a wide range of research projects to further advance scholarship in the field of animal law. Current and future projects include the development of model laws, the comparison of animal law on a country-by-country basis, and the development of a pleading and a legal memorandum file.

The most interesting feature of the website for research purposes is the link to a tool called AnimalLaw.com. AnimalLaw.com is presented by the International Institute for Animal Law, and is intended to serve as a clearinghouse for animal-related legal information, from pending legislation through relevant case law digests. While still in the developmental phase, AnimalLaw.com strives to present both objective and authoritative commentary, as well as guidance for individuals who wish to become advocates for animal issues. AnimalLaw.com provides access to legislation and legal matters pertaining to the rights and welfare of animals.

One criticism of the website from a New Zealand viewpoint is that it only utilizes information contained on state and federal websites from the United States.

Nevertheless, researchers will still find it very helpful as a tool for analyzing a wide range of cases touching on differing aspects of animal law.