Ep52 James F. Gesualdi on Excellence Beyond Compliance® and viewing the law as a foundation to care for animals

Award-winning animal welfare attorney and author James Gesualdi, works on animal law since 1989. He is the founding Member and former Chair of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Animals and the Law; Founding Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Bar Association Animal Law Committee; and Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Animal Law Committee.   

James has a B.A., magna cum laude, with highest honours in Government by the St. Lawrence University; a M.A., in Political Science by the State University of New York at Stony Brook; and a J.D. with Distinction by the Hofstra University School of Law. He was also a recipient of both the Animals and the Law’s Exemplary Service Award in 2018 and Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award in 2019. 

James shares his encounter with a well-known performing dolphin, Little Bit, and how this inspired him into serving people and animals through the power of law.  He highlights the importance of not only responding to crises in the zoological world, but also finding means to prevent them from re-occurring in the future,“It’s about acting today, not the future” he says. James has written many featured columns on a variety of platforms.  

James and Sabrina highlight that collaboration can be vital in creating effective change for animals, caregivers, and the public, as well as understand the importance of reviewing legislation and viewing law as a foundation to build upon when caring for animals. 

James also provides key advice for getting into the animal industry through volunteering and collaborative work, whilst covering experiences he has had of this and how this has helped shaped his career. How we can always do better for animals and going the extra mile is covered in his influential book “Excellence beyond compliance” which is coming out in an updated version in the future.  

Other inspiring James’ quotes:  “There’s no end to the sources of inspiration we can find and we can share with this world” and “What can we do today to advance animal interests, protection and wellbeing?” 

Read the American Bar Association Resolution HERE 

Read the American Bar Association International law section tort trial and insurance practice section HERE 

Read more about the American Bar Association Calls for the Negotiation of an International Animal Welfare Treaty HERE  

Read more about the book “Excellence Beyond Compliance: Enhancing Animal Welfare Through the Constructive Use of the Animal Welfare Act” HERE

Listen on your favourite player or directly HERE

Become a member of PAWS HERE