The Duke Food Law Society (FLS) had an exciting year, despite the challenges of the pandemic. We were thrilled to receive the Greatest Service to Outside Community D.O.N.E. Award from the Duke Bar Association this Spring.
This year, we compiled a Food Justice reading list and published it on our website. We hosted and co-sponsored multiple virtual events. FLS Board Members Drew Langan and Kristen Renberg planned “COVID-19 and the Slaughterhouse Industry,” an event that highlighted labor and animal rights issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Bridget Eklund, FLS’ President, and Jackie Jaffe, our Undergraduate Liaison, hosted a “Food Law Careers” panel for pre-law undergraduate students. FLS also led Duke Law’s team for the Legal Feeding Frenzy, an annual fundraiser and food drive for NC food banks. We raised $800 for the Central & Eastern North Carolina Food Bank!
We also organized two pro-bono projects that students worked on throughout the Fall and Spring Semesters. We partnered with the Land Loss Prevention Project, a non-profit law firm in Durham, to research historical requirements for owning land and historical events in North Carolina that contributed to loss, in order to help identify existing and new tools that can be used to prevent the loss of land. The Land Loss pro-bono team, led by Kristen Renberg, produced three research reports this year. We also worked with Farm Commons, a non-profit organization that supports farmers across the country by developing educational programs and resources about legal issues that affect farm businesses, this year. Students conducted research on core subject areas of farm law for various states, including business structures, land matters, employment, food safety, and agritourism/value-added products. The Farm Commons pro-bono team completed research reports on nine states. These reports will help Farm Commons create effective educational resources on farm business law for attorneys and other interested agricultural professionals.
Our new Leadership Board is looking forward to continuing these projects and activities next year!
2021-22 Leadership Board
- Alex Obiol (2L), President
- Kristen Renberg (3L)
- Drew Langan (3L)
- Emily Chrisman (2L)
- Nate Schumacher (2L)
- Jackie Jaffe (Senior, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Undergraduate Liaison
- Kate Leonard (Junior, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Undergraduate Liaison