Veterinary legal issues: 2006 in review.

JAVMA, Vol 230, No. 3, February 1, 2007 T American Veterinary Medical Law Association (AVMLA) is a national association of attorneys, veterinarians, other individuals, and organizations with an interest in veterinary medical law. Incorporated in 1994, the AVMLA strives to provide information to its members regarding pertinent issues in the field of veterinary medical law and increase public awareness and understanding of the impact of law on all aspects of veterinary medicine. The impact of the legal profession on veterinary medicine has substantially increased over the past several years as more and more attorneys have become interested in areas of the law concerning animals and their welfare. More than 88 law schools in the United States offer classes in animal law, and many publish journals devoted to the topic of animal law. During 2006, the American Bar Association established, at the request of its Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, an award for excellence in the advancement of animal law. The American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee addresses issues relating to a vast array of human-animal interactions ranging from the legality of estate planning for companion animals, to changes in liability standards and insurance coverage in dog bite cases, to compensation beyond fair-market value for animals that are killed, to public and private conflicts about where animals can be kept, and to the competing interests of wild animals and urban, farming, and recreational land use. Several organizations are pushing for changes in state and federal laws relating to animals, with the result that the AVMA currently has 2 attorneys on its staff who spend much of their time monitoring pending legislation across the country concerning veterinarians. As a part of its mission, the AVMLA publishes a quarterly newsletter for its membership that, in part, details ongoing legal activities relating to animals and veterinary medicine. Over the past several years, the newsletter’s authors have seen a marked increase in the number of pages of legislation they review each quarter, and there is no doubt that the field of veterinary law is expanding and will continue to expand. The past year Veterinary legal issues: 2006 in review