Professor Bryant has published several articles on Japanese law, focusing primarily on family law in Japan. However, since 1995 she has been interested primarily in animal law. She teaches classes in that subject, and in 1998 she was the lead drafter of California state legislation to shift animal sheltering from killing to saving lives. That legislative work resulted in Bryant’s serving as a consultant regarding the extent to which the animal shelter legislation was a state mandate requiring reimbursement of local government. She has also written two articles about the legislation and its aftermath.
Professor Bryant’s recent scholarship concerns issues of theory in animal law. In a paper entitled “Trauma, Law, and Advocacy for Animals,” she draws on social science and medical literatures that document the traumatic effects of witnessing violence that society has not yet recognized. She applies that literature in the context of advocates for animals, arguing that some forms of legal activism that seem ineffective for helping animals actually increase public activism and understanding of animal suffering, thereby making other forms of legal change more likely. Professor Bryant also utilizes the literature of social justice activism in feminism and disability rights areas in order to inform activism for animals. In particular, she seeks to combine the approaches of radical feminism and social justice activism in her work on animal protection.
Professor Bryant earned a doctorate in anthropology from UCLA. She uses her training in anthropology to inform her work on nonprofit organizations, animal law, and property law. She is also developing projects that combine social science with law, supported by funds from a generous endowment by Bob Barker to UCLA Law School for the purpose of animal rights law teaching and scholarship.