MinnLawyer Blog

The American Bar Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section has just released a book that lawyers who love animals might find interesting. “Litigating Animal Law Disputes: A Complete Guide for Lawyers,” is being billed as a comprehensive guide for attorneys who are unfamiliar with the various laws that make up the field of animal law.

And the book has a local twist — it’s the brainchild of Fridley attorney Barbara Gislason, who’s been a major player in turning animal law into a legitimate practice area. Gislason was instrumental in getting the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Animal Law Section off the ground in 2003, and was also the impetus behind the adoption of an Animal Law Committee as part of the ABA’s TIPS section a year later.

 As an animal lover myself, I have been pleased to see the rise of animal law as a practice area — a field that encompasses a wide-ranging variety of legal disciplines, including torts, contracts, property and insurance. In addition to the creation of animal law committees, more and more law schools across the country are adding courses that address the area and apply existing legal principles to issues involving animals.

According to the ABA, the new book is “the practitioner’s complete guide to handling animal law cases,” and also serves as a primer for law students studying these issues. In addition to information and caselaw on various animal-law related topics, the book provides some sample litigation documents.

At $129.95 ($99.95 for TIPS Section members), the price is a little steep, but if you are working on a lot of animal-related cases or are thinking of focusing on animal law as a practice area, it just might be worth it.