Madera Group

Attorney Joyce Tischler of the Animal Legal Defense Fund To Be Honored

Posted by Adriana Dakin, Communications Strategist and Amy Wachler Communications Associate on July 16, 2009

The Madera Group is excited to announce that its client, California Attorney Joyce Tischler of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), will be honored with the Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award by the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Animal Law Committee in Chicago next month.

Tischler, long recognized as a leader in the advancement of animal rights, is the co-founder of ALDF, the first national non-profit legal organization focused on issues related to animals, and works to protect and advance the lives of animals through the legal system. Tischler was the agency’s Executive Director for 25 years and now serves as the organization’s general counsel, writing, lecturing and promoting animal law. Tischler is also an active member of the TIPS Animal Law Committee, which develops policies, examines and addresses animal law trends and directs national attention to animal law. Since 2007, the Madera Group has worked with ALDF in strategic planning, organizational development, and fund development.

Tischler will receive the annual award at the TIPS Animal Law Committee Awards Reception, Saturday, August 1st at the Chicago Marriott Hotel.

A long-time advocate for pets and animals, as a young girl Tischler used to bring home abandoned kittens and birds. Later, during her undergraduate years at Queens College of the City University of New York, she ran an on-campus shelter for cats. After graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1977, Tischler had dreams of working outside of traditional forms of law, but had trouble finding a legal position in animal affairs at the time. Still, she never lost sight of her goal, and in 1978, got the chance to put her idea into action by forming ALDF.

Since then, she has championed several of ALDF’s biggest cases, including a 1981 lawsuit that stopped the U.S. Navy’s plan to kill 5,000 ferral burros, as well as a 1988 challenge to the U.S. Patent Office’s rule allowing the patenting of genetically altered animals.  Tischler has also handled cases for the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and Animal Welfare Act.

ALDF employs 20 and has 110,000 supporting members from around the country who provide donations through web site contributions, mail and e-mail.  Thanks to the work and example set by people like Tischler and other animal rights activists, the number of students attending law school to practice animal law continues to increase, and more graduates are choosing to do pro-bono work in animal law.  In addition, Tischler says many law schools and graduate programs have begun introducing more animal law courses into their curriculums, improving the education, preparation and development of future animal rights lawyers and legal experts.

Listen to an interview with Joyce Tischler on Women’s Radio about the evolution of animal law, ALDF and what you can do to help promote animal rights!