Animal Law Podcast #18: Ryan Shapiro, Jeffrey Light, and FOIA

Welcome to the 18th episode of the Animal Law Podcast! Today, we are joined by Ryan Shapiro and Jeffrey Light. Ryan is a Ph.D. candidate at MIT, as well as a Research Affiliate at Harvard University, and a leading expert on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Jeffrey, who is Ryan’s lawyer, is a D.C.-based FOIA specialist attorney, who also specializes in activist defense and civil rights. 

On today’s show, Ryan and Jeffrey discuss how they used FOIA to expose the improprieties of a major agricultural lobby and a U.S. government agency against Hampton Creek Foods. They also talk about their other animal and activist work, including a new project called Operation 45. This episode is sure to give you hope!

Signed into law in 1966 by President Johnson, the Animal Welfare Act turns 50 this year. The Animal Law and Policy program at Harvard Law School marks this anniversary with the conference The Animal Welfare Act at Fifty, bringing together experts from the academic, legal, governmental, and non-profit arenas to assess the past and consider recommendations for the future of the AWA. Friday and Saturday, December 2 & 3 at Harvard Law School. Space is limited, so register now.

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