With 2026 quickly approaching, we’re taking a moment to celebrate highlights from another impactful year at
Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS).
On May 8, 2025, Delcianna Winders, director of the esteemed Animal Law and Policy Institute (ALPI), was honored with the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s (TIPS) Excellence in Advancement of Animal Law Award. Presented by the TIPS Animal Law Committee, this award “recognizes exceptional work by an Animal Law Committee member who, through commitment and leadership, has advanced the humane treatment of animals through the law.”
As a trailblazer in the animal law and policy sphere, Professor Winders continues to make significant contributions to advancing the status of animals. She was instrumental in establishing VLGS’s Animal Law and Policy Institute in 2021 with the goal of training the next generation of effective animal advocacy leaders. With her guidance, the ALPI has quickly grown to become a premier educational hub where students engage in robust curricular and experiential offerings.
Prior to joining VLGS, Winders directed the world’s first law school clinic dedicated to farmed animal advocacy at Lewis & Clark. She also served as vice president and deputy general counsel with the PETA Foundation.
Her work regularly appears in legal journals and scholarly publications, and she is frequently cited as an expert in popular media outlets.
For more information about this prestigious recognition by the American Bar Association, please click here. Winders’ steadfast work to champion and advocate for animals and for animal law education was also detailed in this fall’s ABA Journal.