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Adam P. Karp: Animal Law Offices of Adam P. Karp, Bellingham, WA [By Kenneth Davis] Adam Karp’s decision to practice animal law was motivated by a personal life change. In 1999, he became a vegetarian and then a vegan.
“I got more into animal rights and then
Jayson Anderson (20). The cat had to be
Spokane Superior Court Judge Jerome
realized that there was an absence in the
euthanized due to severe injuries. Karp’s
Leveque awarded Womack $5,000 for the
legal profession for advancing the interests
client, Bernadette Womack, filed a lawsuit
value of Max and her emotional distress, but
of animals,” he said. “So [it] made sense
against the three for several causes of
he dismissed various claims, including one
to me to take what was personal and make
action, including a civil animal cruelty
for outrage. Karp and Womack appealed
it professional.”
claim. Von Rardon’s and Brumback’s
Leveque’s ruling to the Washington Court of
parents were also named in the lawsuit
Appeals, claiming that he erred in several
Karp has taken on animal law cases since
for negligent supervision of their sons.
respects. The Court of Appeals recognized
he first began practicing law seven years
The Brumbacks and Womack settled out
a new cause of action for those whose
ago. He said he handled his first real
of court, but Womack obtained a default
companion animals have been maliciously
litigation case in 2000, and the following
judgment against the remaining defendants.
injured or killed. As a result of this decision,
year, he opened his own law office in Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle. He said that at that time 75 percent of his practice was animal law, and the remainder was collections. Karp said the collection work entailed “getting small judgments for [people] and then garnishing wages and things like that.” In 2003, he began taking on animal law cases exclusively. Karp discussed his practice: “I do all animal law,” he said. “So I’d break it down into about 80 percent injury and death claims, and the remainder, well, maybe 15-plus percent custody disputes. And the rest of it’s just sort of a mix of dangerous dog appeals, constitutional issues, initiatives, referenda, animal rights, standing, criminal prosecution…more of a private prosecutor kind of role. That would be the balance of it.” Karp has been involved in several landmark animal law cases. In May, he won a major decision in the Washington Court of Appeals. The case, Womack v. Von Rardon, involved his client’s cat, Max. The cat was abducted from his client’s property and then set on fire in a middle school field by Rusty von Rardon and Jason Brumback (both 17) and
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state criminal law and civil law have both
Advice to Young Lawyers
changed with regard to animal cruelty.
“Well, for those who want to do this, there are so many variables,” Karp said. “If that’s all they want to do, then they need to be careful about how they proceed. They need to be very calculating in the sense [that] there isn’t much of a demand yet, I think, to support thousands of us. So that means if you’re going to do it, you need to either do it as an incidental part of your practice, take a few cases here and there, or pro bono it. Or do it all or nothing and grab a geographical area and hit it hard... because you’re going to rely on a larger geographical base than, say, a PI [personal injury] lawyer will because there are people getting injured everywhere. But not everybody has an animal case, so you need to either go to a metropolitan center, or if you’re in the outskirts, extend your influence throughout a whole state or region.”
“The court recognized a new cause of action for malicious injury to a pet, and that was big,” Karp said. “There is no analog of malicious injury to a toaster, for example.” In a dangerous dog appeal, Mansour v.
King County, Karp’s client’s dog, Maxine, was accused of killing a neighbor’s cat. Karp said there were no eyewitnesses, and the evidence that he presented created significant doubt as to whether the dog killed the cat or simply came upon the cat already injured by another animal or hit by a vehicle. King County Animal Control issued an order requiring that Karp’s client, Peter Mansour, remove his dog from King County or give her up to be euthanized. The King County Board of Appeals upheld that order, and the superior court granted summary judgment for the county, affirming the board’s decision. On appeal, Karp argued that the board violated his client’s due process rights. In January, Division One of the Washington Court of Appeals reversed the King County Court of Appeals’ decision to uphold King County Animal Control’s order
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declaring the dog vicious and demanding
“I think it was more of [a] default,” he
think, to support thousands of us. So that
her removal from King County within 48
said. “I just liked my college classes on the
means if you’re going to do it, you need to
hours. The Court of Appeals agreed that the
Constitution [and] civil rights, and I didn’t
either do it as an incidental part of your
board violated Mansour’s procedural due
really know what else to do.”
practice, take a few cases here and there, or
process rights because he wasn’t allowed to
pro bono it. Or do it all or nothing and grab
subpoena witnesses and records. (In order
In 1995, Karp graduated with honors from
a geographical area and hit it hard…because
for pet owners to effectively present their
Gonzaga University in Spokane with a
you’re going to rely on a larger geographical
cases and rebut evidence against them,
degree in political science. He earned
base than, say, a PI [personal injury] lawyer
due process requires that they be able to
his law degree from the University of
will because there are people getting
subpoena witnesses and records.) Mansour
Washington School of Law in 1998. Karp
injured everywhere. But not everybody has
v. King County is important because its outcome could affect how animals deemed to be vicious are treated by courts.
then went on to complete a master’s degree
an animal case, so you need to either go
in science and statistics at the University of
to a metropolitan center, or if you’re in the
Washington in 2000.
outskirts, extend your influence throughout
“I tried to subpoena witnesses and medical
Karp also teaches animal law. He’s an
records, and they refused,” Karp said.
adjunct professor of animal law at both the
In addition to running his law practice and
“So I wasn’t able to get the full veterinary
University of Washington School of Law and
teaching, Karp writes regularly for bar
record or the X-rays. I couldn’t put on my
Seattle University School of Law. However,
association bulletins on the topic of animal
own expert because I didn’t have those
he admitted that teaching is not one of his
law and routinely speaks to groups across
records. The burden of proof was placed
favorite things.
the country on the subject. He’s also a vice
a whole state or region.”
chair of the American Bar Association’s
on us to prove that we were innocent, basically, which is not how it’s supposed
“You know, I don’t really enjoy it that
Animal Law Committee. And in 2002,
to work. So it was a mess, but the Court of
much,” he said. “I know it sounds crazy,
he founded the Washington State Bar
Appeals clarified it. It was a very positive
but the reason is that I’m a solo, and I’m
Association’s Animal Law Section.
constitutional type of decision.”
overwhelmed. I’m doing it more because I think I need to. It’s sort of more I feel
Karp occasionally appears on radio and
In May of last year, Karp won $45,480 for
obligated to do it, to share information with
television shows. He appeared on Seattle
one of his clients in the Seattle District
the new generation and encourage them.”
television personality Tony Ventrella’s show back in 2003. He was also featured in TIME
Court. The judgment was for the death of his client’s 12-year-old cat, Yofi, who was killed
Karp said that in the last 10 to 15 years,
magazine a few years ago, in an article
by a neighbor’s dog. The award is believed
animal law has become increasingly popular
discussing an animal custody case.
to be the largest in the history of the State of
among law students. Karp said what he enjoys most about his job
Washington relating to the wrongful death of a nonhuman companion. It is also believed
“There are probably 70 law schools offering
as an animal law attorney is the challenge
to be the largest award in the nation relating
it…Harvard, Yale, George Washington,
it presents.
to the death of a cat.
Georgetown, everyone,” he said. “And then you have the Student Animal Legal Defense
“It’s […] the challenge of trying to move
“The $45,000 judgment was significant
Fund chapters, and I’d say there are
the law forward,” he said. “Many attorneys
[…] because it signifies symbolically that
probably more.”
spend their lives just applying existing
the value of a person’s companion animal is immense,” he said. “It’s not just ‘buy another one for 50 bucks and go home.’ [That’s] not an appropriate response. This judge essentially honored the bound.” Karp said his decision to go to law school did not stem from a lifelong ambition to become a lawyer.
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law, and that’s important […]. But I’m not He had the following advice for law students
excited about that. I’m more interested
who are interested in going into animal law:
at the academic level and trying to create
“Well, for those who want to do this, there are so many variables,” he explained. “If that’s all they want to do, then they need to be careful about how they proceed. They need to be very calculating in the sense [that] there isn’t much of a demand yet, I
new causes of action or allow the law to be more flexible and compassionate. Then it’ll be applied incidentally to the animal[s] in question or the people who care for them. But that’s really the thirst. That’s what drives me; it’s being able to try to craft the law in better directions.”
continued
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Karp and his wife, who runs a court reporter
“Every day there’s a new issue, a new
agency, have several cats that they treat on a
challenge,” he said. “And I’m always looking
regular basis.
for an angle that will move the law in a beneficent direction, so there’s no big master
“They’re older and require a lot of daily care,
plan I have. And from a vegan standpoint,
which is worth it,” he said.
I’d love for every slaughterhouse to be shut down and all fur facilities [to be] destroyed.
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ON THE NET Animal Law Offices of Adam P. Karp www.animal-lawyer.com University of Washington School of Law www.law.washington.edu
Karp discussed some of his hopes and goals
And my Utopian vision is that animals will
Washington State Bar Association’s Animal
for the future.
never be used again against their will.”
Law Section www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/animallaw
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