Speaker Sarah Babcock, DVM, JD

Sarah Babcock, DVM, JD

Sarah Babcock

Dr. Sarah Babcock founded Animal & Veterinary Legal Services, PLLC in 2004. She provides continuing education and online training opportunities at animalandveterinarylaw.com/courses to help veterinary professionals fulfill their lifelong obligation to the continual improvement of professional knowledge and competence, as well as satisfy state licensing requirements. The online courses are RACE and CVPM-approved for continuing education credits.

As an experienced veterinarian, licensed attorney, and senior policy advisor, she is uniquely qualified to advise and instruct veterinary practice managers. Dr. Babcock works as a part-time small animal veterinarian, One Health adjunct faculty at the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine, and peer-reviewer for a veterinary medical board. Dr. Babcock has held senior level positions advising both executive and legislative U.S. federal government leaders. She has also served as an American Veterinary Medical Law Association District Director, member of the American Veterinary Medical Association Judicial Council, and is a small business owner.

Dr. Babcock’s clients value the combination of her background and experiences as her ability to identify gaps in both the clinical operations and the veterinary professional’s knowledge of law and ethics informs strategic and practical solutions for the entire veterinary team. The resulting benefits include an increase in business efficiencies, decrease in the risk of liability, enhanced capacity of veterinary professionals to comply with applicable rules, regulations, and ethical principles, and an overall more rewarding and productive work environment.

She has numerous peer-reviewed publications that focus on issues relevant to veterinary practice to include license discipline and malpractice actions; medical record-keeping; client consent; animal abuse and neglect; vaccine liability; client confidentiality; and zoonotic diseases. She is frequently invited to share her specialized expertise both domestically and globally on topics that range from animal welfare to controlled substance awareness, and telehealth.

She has been recognized for her contributions with many awards including a full merit scholarship to the Michigan State College of Law and was also selected to serve as both an American Veterinary Medical Association Science Policy Fellow and Brookings Institute LEGIS Fellow. She is a graduate of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Law, with a Concentration in Health Care Law. She also has a Certificate in Public Leadership from the Brookings Institution and a Certificate in International Human Rights & Criminal Law from Tulane University Law School.