Write an article on one of the many topics which animal law encompasses. Visit the United States  National Center for Animal Law for some topic ideas.

As Australia does not yet have its own ‘animal law journal’, consider getting the article published in an Australian journal such as the Alternative Law Journal or a Journal that specialises in the area of law that is relevant to your topic (eg environmental law, family law, and corporate law). You might also wish to approach overseas publications such as:

1. The Animal Law Review (US)
   
2. The Journal of Animal Law (US)
   
3. The Journal of Animal Law and Ethics (US)
   
4. The Journal of Animal Welfare Law (UK)
   

Also consider publications such as your Law Student Society Journal, University Student, local newspapers and street magazines.

Getting your article published makes an impressive addition to your resume. If your lecturer approves, you may also consider writing one of your law assessment essays on the topic of animal law, if the assessment allows a broad research scope.

Write, phone, fax or visit your local, federal or state MP and politely let them know your views about animal protection. Explain your viewpoint or suggest changes to laws or regulations which you would like to see implemented, for example a ban on battery hens in your state or territory.
Identify key Local Government members who might be prepared to support you and ask them to propose a motion. The motion could be as simple as halting the hire of parks in their council area for circuses which use animals.

Hold a photo competition on your campus around the concept of animal protection. This will help raise awareness amongst other students on campus.

A good way to network with other law students, VAA members, solicitors, barristers and academics is to attend an animal law conference. However, there are currently not a wide variety of animal law conferences hosted in Australia. Be sure to keep an eye on Voiceless Law Talk and the Voiceless Animal Law News pages for announcements about upcoming events.

Alternatively, your VAA could host your own conference, debate, panel or public forum. For example, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) Chapters have been involved in hosting conferences such as the 14th Annual Animal Law Conference Market Revolution: Recognizing Animals' Intrinsic Values at Lewis & Clark Law School in 2006 and The Future of Animal Law Conference at Harvard Law School in 2007.
Take a look at the Lewis & Clark Law School, Harvard Law School and SALDF websites for some inspiration.

If your university does not currently offer an animal law course, ask the Law Faculty to add animal law to the curriculum.

Select an animal protection issue which is of particular concern to your VAA members (for example battery cages, factory farming of pigs or feed lotting of cows) and run an education campaign on campus. Focus your activities on educating students and staff about the issue. For example you could follow the lead of more than 150 universities in the US by becoming a ‘cage-free campus’. If your VAA is interested in starting a 'cage free' campaign, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for some detailed Campaign Notes about what's involved and how to get started.

Find out what animal protection issues are important in your area and advocate at a community level. For example develop community resource materials such as a list of vegan restaurants, or where to buy free range and humane products.  

Consider donating the proceeds of any events your VAA holds to an animal protection organisation, shelter or sanctuary. Ideas for charity events include cake stalls, silent auctions, dog walk-a-thons, photographic competitions, trivia nights and harbour cruises. Unfortunately due to the complexity of most jurisdiction's fundraising laws, Voiceless does not, as a matter of policy, authorise VAA members to fundraise on its behalf. Your VAA should check with the charity you choose to fundraise for whether there are any special fundraising laws or guidelines with which you should comply.

Hold a mooting, client interviewing, letter of advice, witness examination or negotiation competition based on animal law issues. Look at the ALDF website for inspiration and ideas about litigation which has taken place in America on a wide variety of animal issues.

Volunteer your legal research skills to animal protection groups, solicitors or barristers. Many not-for-profit groups or pro bono lawyers face a variety of legal issues and research questions everyday.

n.b. VAA members should never give legal advice on behalf of Voiceless or as a representative of VAA.

There are many interesting documentaries and articles that cover animal protection issues. Host a film screening or reading group at your university or start a book club.

Also consider writing reviews of the documentary or book which could be published in journals or magazines.

One easy way of people showing they care for animals is to consume less animal products. Assist people to make this choice on your campus by advocating for an increase in the number of vegan options at university functions, law student society balls or meetings and in the food outlets on campus.

This is a great way to get people involved in animal protection and to demand action from the Government. There are specific requirements for the format of petitions which need to be complied with. Information for federal petitions can be viewed at the Parliament of Australia website – select ‘Information and Research’.

Make a submission when animal laws are being revised. Keep an eye on Voiceless Law Talk and in the newspapers for announcements about upcoming opportunities for public consultation.

For information about how to make a submission, and to read submissions Voiceless has made previously, please follow this link. 

Include animal protection issues into the script of your law revue or perhaps take the time to address the audiences of the law revue on animal protection during the interval, place fliers on the theatre seats, cater for the audience with veg*n snacks or place posters at the entrance.

Get a member of your VAA involved in the organising Committee of your university’s law student society. This way you can try to ensure animal protection is considered throughout all the Committee’s activities and ensures the VAA is in touch with law events on the campus.

Show other students how to express their compassion for animals through consuming less animal products. Hold a food stall or ‘BBQ’ with vegetarian and vegan food, recipes, cookbooks and animal protection information.

Host a drinks and trivia night with an animal protection theme. Be sure to advertise your event to all students on campus, in the law faculty and beyond.

Get information about VAA, animal law as a career or animal protection generally included in all the publications within the law faculty, student societies and general campus. You could include a notice about your next meeting or event, an advertisement or a brief introduction to animal law. For example you may wish to include information in a law student survival guide, law school magazine, careers guide, law annual, or yearbook. 

Stalls are a great way to meet like-minded people, raise your VAA’s profile and to disseminate information. Stock your stall with information about animal protection, either broadly or focus on an issue, fliers, petitions, letter-writing material, posters or stickers. Request materials from grass-roots animal protection groups.

Try to organise a notice board in a prominent place on campus. You can use this space as somewhere to put up notices, posters, banners, leave fliers or stickers for students to take. This ensures your message is always available for people to see even when you are not there.

In addition to these individual VAA activity suggestions, Voiceless may occasionally request VAA member’s assistance with specific projects. These could vary from legal research, to hosting an event, drafting a publication or disseminating information.