Oklahoma City University School of Law introduces new Animal Law program


The Oklahoma City University School of Law (OCU Law), located at 800 N. Harvey in the Sooner State’s capital city, has announced the launch of its new Animal Law Program funded by the Kirpatrick Foundation. School administrators believe this program could lead OCU Law to become one of the top schools for Animal Law in the country.



“As many of our students come from all corners of the state and around the region, it is not a surprise that many of them have a great interest in Animal Law,” said Jennifer Prilliman, OCU Associate Dean of Administration and Distance Education. “Our new Animal Law program will allow them opportunities to learn from some of the top practitioners in the field. We are excited to expose them to this growing area of the law.”

According to a press release, student interest in this field has been strong for years, and for some of OCU Law’s graduates, Animal Law is their primary focus.

This new project will include four distinct parts. The first is a networking opportunity for students to network with lawyers who practice Animal Law. This opportunity is part of OCU Law’s existing Capital City Connect series (https://law.okcu.edu/student-life/get-involved/capital-city-connect/), which has been established for upper-class law students to connect with members of the practicing bar before graduation for networking opportunities, mentorship, career development, and professional training.


The second segment of the project is a one-week course in which Animal Law practitioners will discuss specific topics like Companion Animal Law, Farmed Animal Law, Wildlife Law, and Equine Law. 

In the future, OCU Law plans to host a public lecture, open to the community, for a nationally-recognized keynote speaker to deliver a presentation on the subject of Animal Law.



Finally, the project will provide five students and one faculty member the opportunity to attend the 27th annual Animal Law Conference (https://animallawconference.org/) hosted by Lewis & Clark Law School and the Animal Legal Defense Fund scheduled in Portland on October 25-27. 

Founded in 1979, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is supported by thousands of dedicated attorneys and more than 200,000 members and supporters.

“As an animal lover myself, I am excited as we launch this new Animal Law program funded by the Kirkpatrick Foundation,” said Jim Roth, Dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. “Animal Law impacts many traditional areas of legal study, and I know it will benefit our students to have the opportunity to explore this specific area of the law.

Oklahoma City University School of Law serves a student body of approximately 425. OCU Law’s nearly 7,000 alumni practice in every state and several foreign countries. For more information, visit law.okcu.edu. 
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