Motunrayo Esan
Mo became involved in animal law work in 2019 when she was faced with the challenge of choosing a dissertation topic for her undergraduate degree in law. She decided to title it ‘Raising a Legal Framework for the Adoption of Dogs as Security in Nigeria’. Since then, Mo has broadened her scope to now include a broader, global perspective. Her aim is to fill in a gap that ignores Afrocentric approaches to animal protection developments. Right after graduation from her undergraduate, Mo went on to obtain two LLM (Master of Laws) degrees in Public International Law and Animal Law respectively. This rich background paved the way to fully equip her for the pioneering work in African Animal Law she is embarking on.
Mo’s doctorate combines her expertise in Animal Law and Public International Law by investigating the text, history, and implementation of Africa’s strongest animal protection document. She is extremely passionate about the expansion of animal law into formal legal education in law schools and practice. This passion for teaching and research led her to establish a nonprofit aimed at developing curriculums suitable for participating faculties and organisations. Mo serves on many boards and has engaged in research for Animal Charity Evaluators and the Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law. Mo has also presented her research at prestigious conferences including UK Comparative Animal Law Workshop, Radboud Conference, Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit, UIA Roundtable on International Animal Law, and Rabies in West Africa Conference.
Outside her animal research, Mo practices business litigation in the United States.