From the Pitcher’s Mound to the Courtroom: George Mason Honors PETA’s Jeffrey Kerr

When Jeffrey Kerr arrived at George Mason University in 1980, animal law barely existed as a field. More than four decades later, he returned to his alma mater as one of the lawyers who helped change that.

George Mason honored the PETA Foundation chief legal officer and chief operating officer with its 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award, recognizing a career spent using the law to break down barriers for animals.

More Than 30 Years of Opening Courthouse Doors for Animals

During more than three decades at the PETA Foundation, Kerr has built and led the world’s largest legal team working for animal liberation and has become the longest-tenured legal head of an animal protection organization.

Under his leadership, PETA and the PETA Foundation have challenged “ag-gag” laws designed to silence whistleblowers who expose cruelty to animals and have established groundbreaking legal precedents for animals.

The team’s landmark work includes:

• The first cruelty-to-animals convictions of factory farm employees for abusing pigs and birds
• The first U.S. and international crush-video convictions, including one resulting in a life sentence
• The first British case upholding the right to show eyewitness footage of animal abuse
• The first Australian case upholding the right to call for a product boycott over animal-abusive practices
• The first state supreme court decision recognizing the right to gather and publicize eyewitness video footage of animal abuse
• The largest seizure of animals in U.S. history

Before the Courtroom, There Was the Pitcher’s Mound

Long before Kerr was making the case for animals, he was taking the mound for George Mason.

A Weber Scholar, Kerr was a two-year starting pitcher for the Patriots baseball team, received the Scholar-Athlete Award, and graduated with distinction in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in history.

“When I left George Mason, animal law was barely a field, and I’ve spent my career using the law to expand protections and rights for animals,” Kerr says. “Returning to Mason to receive this recognition was especially meaningful, and I hope PETA’s work inspires the next generation of lawyers to keep opening courthouse doors for animals.”

Kerr later graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, which honored his public service with its Shaping Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement and named him among its 100 graduates “Changing the World.”

The Next Generation Can Keep Fighting for Animals

Kerr entered law school when animal law was still in its infancy. Today, lawyers can devote their careers to challenging industries that exploit animals, defending whistleblowers who expose abuse, and pushing courts to recognize that animals deserve protection under the law.

And there are still plenty of courthouse doors left to open.

Want to use your career to help animals? Learn more about working for PETA and the PETA Foundation.