Center for Animal Law Studies

What Center for Animal Law Studies does

The Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) is an academic center within Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, founded in 2008, that offers the first comprehensive animal law program at a U.S. law school. It delivers a structured curriculum covering farmed, aquatic, companion, and wild animals, supported by graduate degree programs — the LLM, MSL, SJD, and a JD Certificate — and experiential learning through the Animal Law Clinic, the Farmed Animal Protection Project, the International Wild Animal and Environmental Law Clinic, and externship placements. The center maintains a global footprint through the Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment, a Global Ambassador Program, a Comparative Animal Law Symposium, and an annual Animal Law Conference, with alumni practicing animal law in more than 30 countries.

Its core technology is an online learning platform at animallawonline.lclark.edu that enables remote delivery of the LLM and MSL programs, supplementing on-campus instruction at the Portland campus. Adjacent intellectual infrastructure includes the Animal Law Review and a suite of specialized symposia.

The business model operates as a donor- and grant-funded nonprofit academic center. Revenue is generated from tuition across the LLM, MSL, SJD, and JD Certificate programs and from charitable contributions and grants supporting operations, programs, and a planned-giving channel (Animal Law Legacy Program). Go-to-market is enrollment-driven, relying on Lewis & Clark Law School's centralized admissions infrastructure, the center's program-specific websites, social channels, annual conferences, and a global alumni and ambassador network that drives word-of-mouth referrals.

Name

Center for Animal Law Studies

Legal name

Center for Animal Law Studies

Website

https://centerforanimallawstudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Animal Law Studies is an academic center within Lewis & Clark Law School offering LLM, MSL, SJD, and JD Certificate programs in animal law, supported by experiential clinics and a global alumni network spanning 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Law Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAIAF

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYBPAGAIAG

Animal Cruelty Prevention, Investigation & Humane Law Enforcement

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Animal Welfare & Wildlife Rescue

SECONDARYAFAEALAC

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Welfare, Boarding & Production Support Services (non-veterinary)

Keywords

• Animal law education
• Graduate legal degrees
• Animal advocacy training
• Environmental law clinics
• Legal academic programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland, Oregon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Degree Program Fees: Revenue generated from LLM, MSL, SJD, and JD Certificate programs through tuition charges. Students pay for enrollment in degree programs.
2. Donations and Grants: The organization explicitly states 'We are Donor and Grant Funded', indicating significant reliance on charitable contributions and grant funding to support operations and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for Animal Law Studies delivers graduate-level legal education in animal law through an LLM, MSL, SJD, and JD Certificate program. Its academic curriculum is paired with experiential learning in animal law clinics that focus on policy advocacy and animal protection work, serving lawyers, recent law graduates, and professionals pursuing specialized credentials in animal law.

Product overview

The Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs and experiential learning opportunities in animal law. The core educational offerings include graduate-level degree programs: the LLM (Master of Laws) and MSL (Master of Legal Studies) in Animal Law, available both on-campus and through dedicated Online LLM and Online MSL programs, as well as the SJD doctoral research program and a JD Certificate for law students. Beyond degree programs, the center provides hands-on experiential learning through its Animal Law Clinic, Farmed Animal Protection Project, International Wild Animal and Environmental Law Clinic, and externship placements. The center also maintains global reach through the Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment, Global Ambassador Program, Comparative Animal Law Symposium, and annual Animal Law Conference. The institution publishes the Animal Law Review and offers summer programs, with an Animal Law Legacy Program for planned giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LLM in Animal Law Master of Laws (LLM) graduate degree providing advanced legal training in animal law for practicing lawyers and JD graduates. Available on-campus and via online delivery.
• MSL in Animal Law Master of Studies in Law (MSL) graduate degree providing foundational training in animal law for non-lawyer professionals and policy practitioners. Available on-campus and via online delivery.
• SJD in Animal Law Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) terminal research degree for scholars pursuing advanced legal scholarship in animal law.
• JD Certificate in Animal Law Certificate program in Animal Law designed for current JD students at Lewis & Clark Law School who want a credentialed specialization in animal law alongside their JD degree.
• Animal Law Clinics Experiential learning clinics providing hands-on advocacy and policy work in animal law for enrolled students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates practice animal law in 30+ countries worldwide

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Law School (Animal Law & Policy): Stanford Law has expanded animal law courses and policy programming within its broader curriculum. Comparable as another leading U.S. law school offering animal law education, competing for prospective students interested in animal-related legal careers.
• Georgetown Law (Animal Law Program): Georgetown Law offers animal law courses and experiential opportunities within a major Washington, D.C. law school. Comparable as a competing law school-based animal law curriculum serving JD students and LLM candidates with policy-oriented specializations.
• Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Program: Harvard's Animal Law & Policy Program offers animal law clinics, courses, and policy work within a top-tier U.S. law school. Directly comparable as a high-profile U.S. law school center offering animal law education, experiential learning, and research, competing for similar students and donors.
• Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law (Animal Law Program): Pace Law was historically a leading U.S. animal law program (founding home of the Animal Legal Defense Fund's law curriculum). Directly comparable as another U.S. law school with a dedicated animal law curriculum, JD certificate, and clinical offerings serving similar student and practitioner audiences.
• Lewis & Clark Law School: The parent institution of CALS, Lewis & Clark Law School delivers the JD degree, hosts the JD Certificate in Animal Law, and provides the admissions infrastructure, faculty, and clinics. Comparable as the broader law school ecosystem within which CALS operates and from which it draws most of its JD certificate students.

Broad incumbents

• University of Michigan Law School: Michigan Law offers a broad JD and LLM curriculum with some animal law courses available. Comparable as a broader incumbent U.S. law school that competes for general LLM applicants and offers niche electives, but lacks a dedicated animal law center comparable in depth to CALS.

Others

• Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF): ALDF is the largest U.S. animal law nonprofit, historically central to the field's development and a frequent partner in animal law clinics and externships. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that drives demand for animal law-trained lawyers and often partners with law school programs like CALS for externship placements.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) - Animal Protection Litigation: HSUS engages in animal law advocacy, litigation, and policy reform and employs legally trained staff. Comparable as an adjacent employer and ecosystem partner for CALS graduates seeking careers in animal law and policy.

Emerging players

• Michigan State University - Animal Legal and Historical Web Center: Michigan State's Animal Legal and Historical Web Center (animallaw.info) is the leading online database of animal law cases, statutes, and scholarship. Comparable as an adjacent academic resource in the animal law field that complements CALS's curriculum and is widely used by students and practitioners in the same ecosystem.
• Global Animal Law Project (GAL): Global Animal Law Project is an international nonprofit focused on comparative animal law research and advocacy. Comparable as a complementary international organization whose work aligns with CALS's Global Law Alliance mission and whose research underpins the field.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB8S9TdFDpBxP8kcJJ1wwHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CALSAnimalLaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-animal-law-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/calsanimallaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Animal Law Studies