2023 Advocacy Project
Pitch Competition
The Project Pitch Competition is the culmination of the Defend Them All Foundation's annual Summer Virtual Advocacy Internship Program offered to students seeking experience in animal and environmental law and policy. This program is conducted in a group setting and includes several subject matter expert presentations and discussion sessions per week. Participants assist with the organization’s ongoing efforts as well as develop an individual project designed around their specific interests. Proposals, related research, and other deliverables submitted as a part of the program serve as a basis for our pro bono initiatives and help us set goals for what we would like to achieve in the future as we continue to evolve and expand the scope of our work.
As the summer comes to a close, we invite you to watch this year’s proposals to learn about current issues affecting animals and their habitats and what we can do to direct change. We are grateful to have had such a thoughtful, talented group this year and are excited to share their ideas with you.
Ban Fur Farming - Rachel Arone
My name is Rachel Arone and I am a rising second-year law student at Fordham Law School. I aim to pursue animal law with a focus on protections for factory farmed animals. On the weekends, I like to volunteer to walk dogs at my local animal shelter. As part of my work with Defend Them All this summer, I learned a lot about facilities we don’t traditionally think of as factory farms. One ongoing practice that stands out to me is the intensive farming of foxes for their fur. How is it possible that we know of and celebrate the emotional depth and complexity of domestic dogs, while we continue to confine, abuse, and neglect their close relative, the fox, in factory farms? The dissonance I see spurred me to address factory fur farms via my pitch project. I hope to continue to learn about and advocate for those animals who have fallen to the margins and need our help the most.
Stop the Shock - Emily Balderson
Hey y’all! My name is Emily Balderson and I am a second-year law student at The University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas. From a young age, my fascination with the creatures we share the Earth with and the diverse and fragile ecosystems of our planet sparked a desire to play a role in their preservation. This passion has evolved into a determined pursuit of legal avenues that can contribute to the protection and conservation of endangered species. As a dog owner and lover, I believe that the way to people’s hearts is through their pets. That is why my pitch project is a proposal to ban the use and sale of shock collars in Austin, Texas. A project like this can lay the groundwork for future efforts. I am devoted to pursuing environmental law as a career because I believe that the law has the power to shape our planet for the better.
End Butterfly Exploitation - Asma Dhar
My name is Asma Dhar and I am a Master's student at Vermont Law and Graduate School specializing in environmental law and policy. I have always had a strong connection to animals and my lifelong passion for animal welfare has driven my desire to explore various forms of animal exploitation and related environmental impacts. With a career focused on advocating for both animals and the environment, I am dedicated to addressing the existing injustices in these areas.
Save the Mohave Ground Squirrel - Kelsey Hire
Kelsey Hire is a rising 2L at the University of San Diego School of Law and an Associate Member of the San Diego Law Review. Having lived in the Mojave Desert for the past nine years, she is excited to utilize her legal education to help preserve its beauty.
Ban the Boom - Elizabeth Miller
My name is Elizabeth Miller and I am a rising second-year law student at the University of San Diego School of Law with an interest in environmental and animal law. Having been a volunteer for the Orange County Coastkeeper and a contract reviewer for a residential solar panel company, I am dedicated to protecting the environment and animals in both legal and non-legal ways. As a vegan activist for the last four years, I have been made more aware of the mistreatment of farmed animals and the impact animal agriculture has on the global climate. As such, I am eager to use the law to help farmed animals, and in turn the environment, secure a better future.
Demand More Sustainable Solar - Theo Rose
My name is Theo Rose, I am a second-year law student specializing in environmental law at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Engaging in many outdoor hobbies fostered a personal connection to the natural world and animals at a young age. As I matured and recognized the prevalence of anthropogenic environmental calamities, I was motivated to pursue a career in which I might have the opportunity to combat some of these issues.
Save Iran’s Last Asiatic Cheetah - Maryam Shokrollahi
My name is Maryam Shokrollahi and I'm an Environmental Law graduate from the National University of Iran with working experience in ESG and Corporate Responsibility. During my childhood, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandpa used to keep a small farm, garden, and some farm animals as a hobby and I spent all the summers watching the little lambs trying to get milk and the chickens running around, making their moms angry! During that time I developed a passion to know more about animals and how to care for them. I knew that going to law school and studying environmental law was my chance to make a change for animals.
Safeguard Coloardo’s Water - Mackenzie Warden
Hello, my name is Mackenzie Warden and I am a second-year law student specializing in environmental and water law at the University of Colorado Law School. My passion for the environment stems from my parents raising me in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Both taught me about the natural world as I grew up and helped foster a love for nature. I continued this passion by earning degrees in ecology and watershed science. These degrees taught me that viewing environmental issues through a systems perspective allows small changes to have large impacts on the environment. I hope to continue to use a systems perspective to continue to make change.