April 16, 2021Speaking for Animals

As she approaches graduation, Harvard Law School student Elizabeth MeLampy J.D. '21 writes about her work with the Animal Law & Policy Clinic.

Harvard Law School student Elizabeth MeLampy J.D. ’21 reflects on her work with the Animal Law & Policy Clinic over the past three years in a blog published by The Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs today.

Elizabeth, who is co-chair of the HLS Animal Law Society, enrolled in the Clinic in her 2L year and says it offered her an unparalleled practical and educational experience in the field.

In her three semesters in the clinic, she has written memoranda, motions, briefs, and petitions, including a letter urging the Biden Administration to rescind policies that restrict the government from considering the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on animals under the Endangered Species Act.

She has worked on projects related to captive animals, farmed animals, wildlife, oceans, and climate change and says the variety of the Clinic’s work has been engaging and fulfilling, providing students with new opportunities every semester.

“As I move rapidly towards graduation, I have been reflecting on the many hours I have spent advocating for animals in the Clinic. Most days of law school, the work that has felt the most important to me was not class reading or running a student organization, but my clinical work,” writes Elizabeth.