Animal-rights lawyer Steve Wise

Sometime in the next couple of months, in a yet-to-be disclosed courthouse somewhere in the United States, the Nonhuman Rights Project is planning to file a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a chimpanzee. In what will be the first of a series of similar legal actions, the project will be asking the court to rule that the chimp has the legal right to bodily liberty and to order her released from her cage and moved to a cage-less sanctuary.

In this episode of the legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, we talk with pioneering animal rights lawyer Steven M. Wise, president of the Nonhuman Rights Project, author of four books about animal rights, and lecturer at several law schools. Wise talks about the forthcoming habeas case, about why he believes the law should treat sentient animals as persons rather than things, and about his project’s long-term plans for battling for animal rights.

You can stream or download this episode at the Legal Talk Network. Be sure you never miss an episode by subscribing to Lawyer2Lawyer in the iTunes library or via our RSS feed.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.