Jeff Kerr at PETA has brought some of the wildest legal cases in animal rights history: monkey selfies, orca slavery, and more. I chatted with him about why these “crazy” cases actually have solid legal grounds–and why Jeff has immense hope for the future of animal law and animal rights.

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“Right to listen” lawsuit:

https://www.peta.org/news/peta-sues-nih-nimh-in-groundbreaking-lawsuit/

American Kennel Club lawsuit:

https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/peta-files-suit-against-american-kennel-club-for-designing-promoting-and-profiting-off-deformed-dogs/

Maine Lobster Festival lawsuit:

https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/maine-lobster-festival-sued-by-peta-for-steaming-lobsters-alive/

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About Jeff Kerr: As chief legal officer to PETA and other PETA entities for nearly 30 years, Jeff Kerr is the longest-tenured legal head of any animal protection organization. He built and leads the world’s largest legal team working for animal liberation, which was named Corporate Counsel magazine’s Best Legal Department in 2017—the first animal protection group and only the second nonprofit to receive that honor. Kerr is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, which recognized his public service work with the prestigious Shaping Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement, and George Mason University, where he was a Weber scholar. His high-profile cases have made headlines around the world and sparked a global conversation about the legal rights of animals.

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Chapters:

Intro) 00:00-07:35 Jeff Kerr on how to understand how the law works for animals, whistleblowers, & unnecessary testing on macaque monkeys

Chapter 2) 07:36-15:36 PETA’s controversial lawsuits

Chapter 3) 15:37-19:44 PETA as bipartisan, on the NIH, & the merits of PETA’s lawsuits

Chapter 4) 19:45-24:32 PETA on consumerism, new laws for animals, & enforcing existing laws for animals

Chapter 5) 24:33-35:24 The humanewashing problem, research on consumerism, & environmentalism

Chapter 6) 35:25-41:44 PETA’s focus of protests & different activist groups working together

Chapter 7) 41:45-49:35 An ambitious lawsuit: The Maine Lobster Festival

Chapter 8) 49:36-52:22 A historical view of the animal rights movement & PETA getting attention

Chapter 9) 52:23-59:10 Fast questions, advice on activist teams, and hope for the future

Chapter 10) 59:11-59:27 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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Books Mentioned:

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

Diet for a New America by John Robbins

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Loving v. Virginia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Hirschkop

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