Megan Senatori receives ABA Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award

May 01, 2026

Megan Senatori receives ABA Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award

CHICAGO, May 1, 2026 - Megan Senatori, executive director of the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School, was honored April 30 with the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Animal Law Committee's Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award during the TIPS Section Conference. The award recognizes outstanding contributions by an Animal Law Committee member who has advanced the humane treatment of animals through the law.

"Megan Senatori is a true champion for the welfare of all animals," said TIPS Chair Marcy Hogan Greer. "She has worked tirelessly with others to drive forward ABA Resolution 504, improving legal protections for survivors of domestic violence and their companion animals."

Senatori serves in key leadership roles within the ABA Animal Law Committee, including co-chair of the Companion Animal Subcommittee and vice chair, Domestic Violence Awareness. She co-authored and helped lead Resolution 504, the first-of-its-kind resolution adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 2025, which calls for improved legal protections for domestic violence survivors and their companion animals.

Before joining the Center for Animal Law Studies in 2019, Senatori was an accomplished litigator with nearly two decades of experience in private practice, including five years as chair of the Litigation Practice Group at DeWitt LLP. Her litigation work included complex civil cases and representation of veterinarians and animal protection matters, including cases addressing animal cruelty, custody disputes and breed-specific legislation. She co-authored an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Stevens, advocating for recognition of preventing animal cruelty as a compelling governmental interest and was honored with the Animal Legal Defense Fund Pro Bono Achievement Award in 2013.

Since 2003, Senatori has been a pioneering educator in animal law, teaching the first courses at the University of Wisconsin and Marquette University Law Schools. She continues to teach at Lewis & Clark Law School, where she leads online courses in the advanced animal law program.

Beyond the ABA, Senatori co-founded and continues to lead Safe Havens for Animals and Victims (SAAV), a nonprofit that provides safe refuge for animals when their human companions are escaping domestic abuse.

Senatori received her J.D. from University of Wisconsin Law School and her bachelor's degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Contact Shanda Ivory at [email protected] for a photo and bio of Senatori.

The ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section unites plaintiff, defense, insurance and corporate counsel to advance the civil justice system. TIPS is a national source of expertise in tort, trial and insurance practice and brings lawyers together to share information and speak out on issues of importance. The section has over 10,000 members and 28 general committees that focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas across the broad spectrum of civil law and practice. For more information about the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section visit the TIPS website, https://www.americanbar.org/tips.