Tomorrow I’ll be in Washington, D.C., for an important roundtable discussion of Connecticut’s Desmond’s Law – legislation I introduced and led to passage in close partnership with UConn Law School Professor Jessica Rubin. Working in partnership also with Animal Advocates “Desmond’s Army,” we were abl
e to pass this first ever in the country law that allows legal advocates to testify on behalf of animals in abuse and neglect cases. The Washington program is sponsored by the Animal Law Committee of the D.C. Bar Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Community and the George Washington University Law School. We’ll be discussing the lessons that Desmond’s Law offers for developing stronger legal protections for animals in the District of Columbia. For the discussion I’ll be joining Jessica and two other experts in this field: Kelly Whittier, the director of communications for D.C. Council Member Mary M. Cheh; and George Washington Law School Associate Professor Joan E. Schaffner, who will moderate the discussion.