Brooklyn Law School Student Wins Student Writing Competition Sponsored By Committee on Animals and the Law

ALBANY, NY (10/08/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Animals and the Law has awarded Brooklyn Law School student Lesley Petersen the first-place award in its third annual Student Writing Competition. Her paper entitled, "Talkin' Bout A Humane Revolution: New Standards For Farming Practices And How They Could Change International Trade As We Know It" explores whether new animal welfare standards, such as California's recent Proposition 2, have the potential to conflict with the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which reduces trade barriers for goods. Peterson received $1,000 for her winning submission.

The committee awarded its second-place award to Dana Marie Pannella, a Case Western University School of Law student. Pannella's article examines the negative impact of Department of Defense General Order 1B (GO-1B), which prevents soldiers from "[a]dopting as pets or mascots, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal," and how the order conflicts with property law and public policy. She proposes that GO-1B be revised to allow the adoption of stray domestic animals. She received $500 for her essay.

"The quality and depth of this year's submissions evidenced the continued growth and increased importance of Animal Law. The committee is extremely proud of the opportunity that the writing competition provides for students on the cutting edge of Animal Law," said Committee Chair James F. Gesualdi of Islip. "The committee thanks all the entrants for their thoughtful and often thought provoking submissions and congratulates both Ms. Peterson and Ms. Pannella on winning this year's Student Writing Competition."

The winning entries can be viewed online at: www.nysba.org/2010entries. For information about the 2011 competition, please visit: www.nysba.org/2011competition.

The Committee on Animals and the Law was established to provide an information resource for the Association's members and the public about non-human, animal-related humane issues that arise from and have an effect upon our legal system.

The competition was intended to foster legal scholarship among law students in the area of animals and the law. In addition, the competition provides law students with an opportunity to prepare and submit articles to the committee for possible publication in one of the New York State Bar Association's newsletters.

The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the official statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Founded in 1876, State Bar programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice system for more than 130 years.

###