LEAP Welcomes New Litigation & Program Fellow Naomi Jennings

The Law, Environment & Animals Program (LEAP) at Yale Law School welcomes Naomi Jennings as its new Litigation and Program Fellow. In this role, Jennings will work closely with LEAP’s faculty and staff to support and grow the program’s research and educational initiatives, including its legal work at the intersection of animal agriculture and climate change.

“We’re thrilled that Naomi is joining our legal team,” said Daina Bray, LEAP Legal Director. “Naomi’s background in using the law to address the most pressing social and environmental problems of our time, from protecting the rights of migrant workers to policy work on climate change, is a great fit for our work to confront the climate harms of industrial animal agriculture.” 

Jennings recently graduated from Harvard Law School, where she worked with the Brooks McCormick Jr. Animal Law & Policy Program as a research assistant, clinical student, and member of the Animal Law Society. She also served as the co-chair for the Mississippi Delta Project, a technical editor for the Harvard Environmental Law Review, and a student attorney with the Prison Legal Assistance Project. Jennings was also a Legal Fellow with Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, where she brought litigation on behalf of and provided legal services to migrant workers. Prior to law school, Jennings majored in molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of California Los Angeles. There, she researched plant-growth promoting bacteria as an alternative to nitrogen-based fertilizer, and the risks faced by workers and communities due to animal agriculture-related antibiotic resistance.

“Naomi is a fabulous addition to our team and to the broader Yale Law School community,” LEAP Executive Director Viveca Morris said. “She combines brilliance, professionalism, and enthusiasm for LEAP’s mission of advancing protections for animals and the environment.”

LEAP Faculty Director and Joseph M. Field '55 Professor of Law Doug Kysar noted the strength of LEAP’s team.

“What has made LEAP special from day one are the amazing people we’ve been able to work with,” Kysar said. “Naomi exemplifies the growing and inspiring list of leaders we are proud to claim as part of the LEAP community.”