ABOUT LIC
Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC) works to make factory-farm cruelty a liability.
LIC designs strategic lawsuits for chickens and other farmed animals. We are developing and refining creative methods to civilly enforce existing cruelty laws in factory farms, and to sue companies that break animal-welfare commitments.
LIC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.
OUR TEAM
ALENE ANELLO
President
LIC was founded by Alene Anello. Alene graduated from Harvard Law School, clerked for a federal judge, and then started litigating for animals. She has worked at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and The Good Food Institute. She is licensed to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia, and California.
Alene is committed to helping chickens to honor the memories of her two beloved avian family members, Conrad and Zeke.
You can read Alene's story here.
SARAH GOLD
Litigator
Sarah graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2021. Prior to law school, Sarah worked as a shelter intern at Farm Sanctuary. During law school, she served as president of the Animal Law Society, and interned at Mercy for Animals.
After graduating, Sarah worked as a litigation associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. She is licensed to practice law in California only.
TAJINDER UPPAL
Litigation Intern
Taj is a rising 3L at Berkeley Law where he leads the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. He has previously worked for the Sierra Club, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Direct Action Everywhere.
In his spare time, Taj enjoys writing, dancing, and playing basketball.
PACY YAN
Litigation Intern
Pacy is a rising 2L at Harvard Law School. Prior to law school, she studied philosophy with a minor in bioethics at New York University. In law school, Pacy participates in the Harvard Animal Law Society. In addition to animal law, she is also interested in the intersection of ethics and the law, as well as philosophy more generally.
In her free time, she enjoys video games, cooking, and reading.
TYLER LOBDELL
Board Chair
Tyler is a staff attorney with the national nonprofit advocacy organization Food & Water Watch, where he focuses on combating the environmental and public health harms of factory farming. He previously worked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Tyler spent 8 years leading conservation programs across the United States before becoming a lawyer.
Outside of work, Tyler enjoys hiking, biking, rock climbing, and skiing. He shares his life with his wife, his two sons, his dog Moco, and a small flock of rescue hens (Pearl, Ester, Sophia, Sophia II, Pepper, and Ginger).
ALICIA RODRIGUEZ
Board Member
Alicia is a fellow at Stray Dog Institute. She graduated from Harvard Law School in 2015, where she served as the President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund for two years and founded the university-wide Harvard Vegan Society. Following law school, Alicia worked as a corporate litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. She subsequently started The Land and Sea Institute, a nonprofit that supports sustainable food policy in local government.
WHY LEGAL IMPACT FOR CHICKENS?
Companies don’t follow laws if they aren’t enforced. And prosecutors almost never enforce cruelty laws on factory farms, even when animal protection groups urge them to.
As a result, while several state cruelty laws technically cover farms, factory farms ignore them. Investigations in such states show rampant, unlawful neglect and abuse. Similarly, the animal movement’s effort to pass confinement bans may be wasted if those new bans aren’t enforced.
Strategic civil litigation offers a solution. Several little-known legal doctrines let plaintiffs sue in civil court for violation of a criminal law. Legal Impact for Chickens systematically develops and refines those doctrines to fight factory-farm cruelty.