PETA Global Issue 2

Philip Hirschkop: © 2017 ALM Media Properties

Some people are born to make a difference.

PETA’s (Not So) Secret Weapon: Philip Hirschkop , Legal Legend

•

Party PerfectWontons

Makes 12 wontons

Made from seaweed, not fish eggs, vegan Cavi-art* is a delicious addition to any party platter. Serve it with crispbreads for a no-fuss appetizer, or wow guests with these tasty wontons.

S ome people are born to make a difference. Philip Hirschkop is one of those people. He has served as PETA’s litigation counsel for several decades, defending PETA protesters and arguing landmark lawsuits, such as the one that put Las Vegas entertainer and notorious orangutan abuser Bobby Berosini out of business and led to the apes’ rescue.

YOU’LL NEED • 12 thin pastry sheets for baking

“I first met Philip Hirschkop around 1980, when I was arrested for soliciting (not what you think!),” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “All I was doing was leafleting against a rodeo, but an officious police officer told me that I would be arrested if I didn’t stop. I knewmy rights, carried on, and, yes, was arrested. Later, in court, the officer started to embellish his testimony, claiming that I had been blocking traffic and so on. Hirschkop asked, ‘Officer, may I refresh your memory by playing you a tape in which you stated categorically that all Ms. Newkirk did was pass out leaflets?’ The officer gulped and corrected his ‘recollection’ and the case was thrown out. PETA then sued the rodeo organizers, who had to pay our legal fees, make a donation, and, best of all, agree to stop organizing rodeos.” Loving v. Virginia Devoted to justice and fairness, Hirschkop’s landmark case was Loving v. Virginia – he’s played by actor John Bass in the film Loving – which struck down laws banning interracial marriage and declared them unconstitutional. Many of Hirschkop’s cases have dealt with the right of citizens to demonstrate – a crucial part of PETA’s campaign strategy – but he’s accomplished much more, winning, for instance, the first anti-cybersquatting protection case when PETA’s domain name was taken and had to be restored. He also successfully fended off an absurd but dangerous civil racketeering claim against PETA’s investigation into cruelty to animals at a notorious laboratory. And in Covance v. PETA, he defended the organization against the world’s largest contract laboratory, which was attempting to stop the distribution of footage exposing animal abuse by experimenters. Today, the PETA Foundation’s legal department in Washington, D.C. (read more about it on page 15), is named The Philip J. Hirschkop Legal Department, after this legendary lawyer and pioneering champion of animal rights.

(can be purchased premade) • ± /³ cup vegan cream cheese • ± /³ cup Cavi-art, plus more for garnish

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice • Pinch pepper • Oil, for brushing the pastry sheets • Whole fresh chives, optional • Chopped chives or additional chopped dill, for garnish METHOD Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the pastry sheets into 4-by-4-inch squares. Stir together the vegan cream cheese, Cavi-art, dill, lemon juice, and pepper. Place a spoonful of the filling in the middle of each square, brush the edges with a tiny bit of oil, and pinch closed. You can also tie the squares into bundles using whole fresh chives. Place the squares on a baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Garnish with chopped chives or dill and additional Cavi-art.

*Cavi-art is available for purchase at PETACatalog.com .

12 COURTING TROUBLE