EPISODE · Aug 1, 2025 · 59 MIN
That "Crazy" Animal Rights Lawsuit is About to Change the World (with PETA's Jeff Kerr) (Ep.84)
from The Simple Heart w/ Wayne Hsiung · host Wayne Hsiung
Jeff Kerr at PETA has brought some of the wildest legal cases in animal rights history: monkey selfies, orca slavery, and more. I chatted with him about why these “crazy” cases actually have solid legal grounds–and why Jeff has immense hope for the future of animal law and animal rights.—“Right to listen” lawsuit:https://www.peta.org/news/peta-sues-nih-nimh-in-groundbreaking-lawsuit/American Kennel Club lawsuit:https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/peta-files-suit-against-american-kennel-club-for-designing-promoting-and-profiting-off-deformed-dogs/Maine Lobster Festival lawsuit:https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/maine-lobster-festival-sued-by-peta-for-steaming-lobsters-alive/ —About Jeff Kerr: As chief legal officer to PETA and other PETA entities for nearly 30 years, Jeff Kerr is the longest-tenured legal head of any animal protection organization. He built and leads the world’s largest legal team working for animal liberation, which was named Corporate Counsel magazine’s Best Legal Department in 2017—the first animal protection group and only the second nonprofit to receive that honor. Kerr is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, which recognized his public service work with the prestigious Shaping Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement, and George Mason University, where he was a Weber scholar. His high-profile cases have made headlines around the world and sparked a global conversation about the legal rights of animals.—The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!—Chapters:Intro) 00:00-07:35 Jeff Kerr on how to understand how the law works for animals, whistleblowers, & unnecessary testing on macaque monkeysChapter 2) 07:36-15:36 PETA’s controversial lawsuitsChapter 3) 15:37-19:44 PETA as bipartisan, on the NIH, & the merits of PETA’s lawsuitsChapter 4) 19:45-24:32 PETA on consumerism, new laws for animals, & enforcing existing laws for animalsChapter 5) 24:33-35:24 The humanewashing problem, research on consumerism, & environmentalismChapter 6) 35:25-41:44 PETA’s focus of protests & different activist groups working togetherChapter 7) 41:45-49:35 An ambitious lawsuit: The Maine Lobster FestivalChapter 8) 49:36-52:22 A historical view of the animal rights movement & PETA getting attentionChapter 9) 52:23-59:10 Fast questions, advice on activist teams, and hope for the futureChapter 10) 59:11-59:27 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis—Books Mentioned:Consider the Lobster by David Foster WallaceDiet for a New America by John Robbins—Loving v. Virginia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginiahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Hirschkop —
What this episode covers
Jeff Kerr at PETA has brought some of the wildest legal cases in animal rights history: monkey selfies, orca slavery, and more. I chatted with him about why these “crazy” cases actually have solid legal grounds–and why Jeff has immense hope for the future of animal law and animal rights.—“Right to listen” lawsuit:https://www.peta.org/news/peta-sues-nih-nimh-in-groundbreaking-lawsuit/American Kennel Club lawsuit:https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/peta-files-suit-against-american-kennel-club-for-designing-promoting-and-profiting-off-deformed-dogs/Maine Lobster Festival lawsuit:https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/maine-lobster-festival-sued-by-peta-for-steaming-lobsters-alive/ —About Jeff Kerr: As chief legal officer to PETA and other PETA entities for nearly 30 years, Jeff Kerr is the longest-tenured legal head of any animal protection organization. He built and leads the world’s largest legal team working for animal liberation, which was named Corporate Counsel magazine’s Best Legal Department in 2017—the first animal protection group and only the second nonprofit to receive that honor. Kerr is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, which recognized his public service work with the prestigious Shaping Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement, and George Mason University, where he was a Weber scholar. His high-profile cases have made headlines around the world and sparked a global conversation about the legal rights of animals.—The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!—Chapters:Intro) 00:00-07:35 Jeff Kerr on how to understand how the law works for animals, whistleblowers, & unnecessary testing on macaque monkeysChapter 2) 07:36-15:36 PETA’s controversial lawsuitsChapter 3) 15:37-19:44 PETA as bipartisan, on the NIH, & the merits of PETA’s lawsuitsChapter 4) 19:45-24:32 PETA on consumerism, new laws for animals, & enforcing existing laws for animalsChapter 5) 24:33-35:24 The humanewashing problem, research on consumerism, & environmentalismChapter 6) 35:25-41:44 PETA’s focus of protests & different activist groups working togetherChapter 7) 41:45-49:35 An ambitious lawsuit: The Maine Lobster FestivalChapter 8) 49:36-52:22 A historical view of the animal rights movement & PETA getting attentionChapter 9) 52:23-59:10 Fast questions, advice on activist teams, and hope for the futureChapter 10) 59:11-59:27 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis—Books Mentioned:Consider the Lobster by David Foster WallaceDiet for a New America by John Robbins—Loving v. Virginia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginiahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Hirschkop —
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That "Crazy" Animal Rights Lawsuit is About to Change the World (with PETA's Jeff Kerr) (Ep.84)
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