2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of one of the finest pieces of cinema ever made, Air Bud. Air Bud is the heart-warming tale of Buddy, a golden retriever with superb athletic abilities who joins a high school basketball team and leads them to victory in the championship game after it is discovered that there are no rules saying that a dog can’t play basketball.
While Air Bud never received the critical acclaim it deserved, with a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and being entirely snubbed in the Oscar nominations for the 1998 awards season, it led to a re-examination of what other areas have no rules forbidding dogs from participation. What I'm interested in, is whether you could turn up at Godfreys Law and have Law Bud be your lawyer? Are there any rules saying a dog can’t be a lawyer?
Dogs in Court
In 2017 an American man made headlines when he told the police officers “Just get me a lawyer dog”. The Courts ruled that it was unclear whether he was asking for a dog lawyer such as Law Bud, whether he was calling all lawyers dogs, or whether he was saying ‘just get me a lawyer, dog’, using dog as an interjection.
While there is a historical precedent for animals being sent to trial, much of this comes from before the 20th century and nowadays it is more likely that the dog’s owner will be accused of a crime, as dogs lack the ability to have criminal intent. In fact, most research on this subject just yields the unhelpful answer that the only reason a dog would go to court at all is for a ‘barking ticket’.
Can a dog get a degree?
In order for a dog to register as a lawyer, it would first have to pass a law degree from an accredited university. While there are no cases of dogs attaining degrees from New Zealand universities, this is a very different question from asking whether a dog could, theoretically, attain such a degree.
Internationally, there are several cases of dogs attaining degrees, and many more of cats. Wikipedia lists six dogs who have attained tertiary degrees from colleges or universities, and while many of these were political stunts to discredit the institution that gave out the degree, it does show that it is possible.
Could a dog pass a law degree? In New Zealand a law degree is one of the biggest challenges many lawyers face, often taking up to five years of constant study, work and commitment. The dog would have to write essays, research law, and sit exams. While a dog may struggle with this course load, particularly sitting still long enough to write an exam, many universities are moving to a more flexible model, to ensure they are treating all students fairly and test their knowledge and understanding, rather than simply their ability to write an essay. Perhaps with the help of a university-provided reader-writer a dog could sit an exam and provided the dog was able to learn and understand the relevant law being tested, could pass its degree.
Most importantly, however, there is no law in New Zealand saying a dog can’t attain a degree.
Could a dog register as a lawyer in New Zealand?
The main requirements for someone to register as a lawyer in New Zealand are:
- They must have a bachelor’s degree in law
- They must complete a course in professional studies and have a certificate of completion
- They must have a certificate of character
While we have ascertained that a dog could attain a degree, and by extension probably pass their professional studies, and we can assume that someone would be willing to give such a good boy a Certificate of Character, we have reached a stumbling block here. The Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2008 specifies that a Practising Certificate may only be issued to a legal person, and while the legal definition of a person is broad and can include corporations and environmental features, in most cases in New Zealand law animals are treated as property, not persons.
This is contentious, however, as the legal treatment of animals as property, not persons deny animals certain rights for their wellbeing. There have been moves to address this and change the law so animals do have some of the same rights as humans, but thus far they do not appear to have made much traction. We must therefore accept that there is in fact a rule that says a dog cannot be a lawyer.
Could a dog be a lawyer?
Under current New Zealand law, no, a dog can’t be a lawyer. This is probably a good thing, as even if a dog was able to pass the requirements, they would likely be incapable of relating to their clients and truly understanding their issues and needs.
At Godfreys Law we pride ourselves on being real people and providing real solutions for all our clients. Our staff includes a diverse range of previous experience, from former business owners to regular mums and dads like our clients. This means that when our clients come to us with a problem we can understand, and draw on our own experience, both legal and practical to find the best solution for them.
While Godfreys is definitely a firm of dog lovers, we think it is best that we stick to our tried-and-true motto: Godfreys Law. Real People. Real Solutions.
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