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Passion for Justice
Fighting for Justice for All Species
Third-year law student Samantha Cano ‘26 is spending the summer months pushing the boundaries of justice in ways that often go unseen. This summer, Cano is working with the Climate Change and Animal Agriculture Litigation Initiative (CCAALI), part of the Law, Environment, and Animals Program at Yale Law School. The internship brings together her deep commitment to animal rights with an academic background in environmental studies.
“I’ve always had a passion for animal advocacy,” Cano says, “but what really drives me is exploring how animal law intersects with other critical areas like environmental, immigration, and human rights law.”
That passion took root at USF, where Cano immersed herself in student-led advocacy through the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF), serving as both Secretary and Social Media Chair. She also took Professor Matthew Liebman’s Animals and Justice course, which offered the chance to explore foundational philosophical questions about the legal treatment of animals.
At CCAALI, Cano works closely with leading animal law experts, including Daina Bray and Laura Fox, conducting research on the environmental and public health impacts of industrialized animal agriculture. The work supports litigation efforts that aim to hold agribusiness accountable for its role in climate change.
Cano’s undergraduate degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz also comes into play. “This internship has allowed me to revisit the kind of environmental impact research I care deeply about,” she notes. “I’ve also been attending climate briefings and sessions that keep me grounded in the current legal and political landscape, which is especially critical at a time when climate research is under threat.”
With a final year of law school ahead, her internship has helped sharpen Cano’s vision for the future. “Whether through pro bono work or continued legal research and writing, I know I want to stay in the fight for animal justice.”
