University Hires Animal-Rights Law Professor Who Advocates 'Personhood' for Chimps

anthony.christopher | August 17, 2015
DONATE
Font Size

Chimps now have human rights? 

The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has become the first school in the nation to adopt an animal-law "professorship." Or, in other words, he'll make work for lawyers.

The university's professorship devoted to animal rights comes thanks to a "generous gift" from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. 

The "generous gift" is welcoming its first recipient, Justin Marceau, a Harvard graduate and well-established attorney. The ALDF had this to say about the newly created professorship:

Funded by a generous gift from the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and appointed by the dean of Denver Law, the ALDF Professorship will provide support for a faculty member dedicated to advancing the interests of animals through the legal system and engaging students in this field of work. The ALDF Professorship is the first known position of its kind in the country.

Mr. Marceau is noted to have long worked with the ALDF, most recently representing the plaintiff in an Idaho lawsuit challenging the state's criminal outlawing of undercover recording of abusive agriculture practices. Marceau has argued that chimpanzees deserve the rights of "personhood."

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) recently put out a press release

 “Once relegated to the ‘back seat’ of practice areas, animal rights law has recently experienced a tremendous surge of interest and commitment.”

And, you thought the Bill of Rights was created by humans for humans.

donate