Kathy Hessler
Assistant Dean
The George Washington University Law School
Kathy Hessler is the inaugural Assistant Dean for Animal Law and founding Director of the Animal Legal Education Initiative at George Washington University Law School. Dean Hessler has been a clinical law professor for 30 years and has been teaching animal law since 2000. She is the first law professor in the world hired to teach animal law full-time. Dean Hessler helped develop the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School, directed the Animal Law Clinic, created and directed the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative, and co-founded World Aquatic Animal Day. At GW Law she created the Aquatic Animal Law Project; the Animal Law & Science Project; the Council on Animal Legal Education; and the Coolidge High School Project. Dean Hessler also writes and lectures widely.
