The great irony of the animal rights movement in the United States is that, to this day, there is still only one species that has any rights at all: humans.
Attorney Steven M. Wise gained worldwide attention in 2013 when he filed the first-ever habeas corpus lawsuits on behalf of nonhuman animals (in this case captive chimpanzees), arguing that as cognitively complex, autonomous beings, they should be recognized as “legal persons” with the fundamental right to bodily liberty.
In this session of the "I Am NOT an Animal!" symposium, Steve explains the background and legal strategy that his organization, the Nonhuman Rights Project, employed.
