FSU law students advocate for animals

You might say one aspect of Florida State University’s law school is going to the dogs – and the cats.

That’s because the college’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund has won the honor of the National Student Animal Legal Defense Fund’s chapter of the year award, a prestigious award presented to only one chapter out of almost 200 nationwide.

The award was given to the college based on the SALDF chapter’s many accomplishments in the field of animal advocacy, including advocating directly to officials of the Florida Legislature and the City of Tallahassee’s government, as well as sponsoring an animal law writing competition for law schools statewide. The award was accepted by law students and SALDF members Sara McNeill and Sarah Bailey.

Each year, the award is granted to one chapter of the SALDF based on “outstanding efforts to advance the field of animal law and to advocate for animals through original projects and initiatives,” according to a release from the college.

“We are thrilled that the work of our Student Animal Legal Defense Fund is being lauded at the national level,” the law school’s dean, Don Weidner, said. “Congratulations and thanks go to the entire SALDF board and especially to its president, Christine Clolinger, for Florida State’s award-winning submission.”

This sentiment was echoed by SALDF members.

“My passion is animals, so it seemed natural to start up the chapter,” said Ralph DeMeo, a lawyer and cofounder of the College of Law’s SALDF chapter who also practices law for the chair of the Florida Bar Animal Committee. “We’re actually the first non-human charity authorized by the College of Law, and we’ve influenced other law schools such as FAMU in Orlando to start up their own chapters.”

There are 75 students in the chapter who do pro bono work, legal research, and help with cases relating to animal rights. They also run a responsible pet ownership class for individuals cited for animal-rights abuses, according to DeMeo.

“(The students) are capable people. They typically devote 20-30 hours a month in support of animal law,” he said.