Animals are getting more legal protection in the United States as lawyers and legislators devote more of their time to animal rights.

"More and more people are appreciating the value of animals, so they're willing to spend money on protecting them in the private cases," said attorney Bruce Wagman. His animal-law practice in the San Francisco offices of Schiff Hardin LLP has gone from nothing to so much work in the past six years he now does it full time and has hired two summer associates to assist him.

His clients include animal-rights organizations, such as the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The demand for animal law classes has grown as well, said Wagman, who teaches at several law schools, including Stanford and Boalt Hall.

"I've been teaching animal law for 11 years and when I started there were six courses and now there are 80 around the country," he said.

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full story:
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/jul/10/animal-rights-a-growing-concern-regulations-in/