Daina Bray's journey took her from a childhood in upstate New York to a career in international law and eventually to her true calling: animal law. With her current role as the Legal Director of the Law, Environment and Animals Program at Yale Law School, Daina's path demonstrates how a global perspective, coupled with a deep-seated passion, can lead to a career with impact.

Environmental roots, legal routes

Growing up outside of Albany, New York, Daina was interested in animal issues from an early age, protesting fur at age 12 and becoming a vegetarian at 14. This interest expanded to encompass environmental concerns and international human rights during her college years.

Daina's global perspective was shaped by a year spent in Barbados during her childhood, where her father was staffed on a USAID project. Immersed in a new culture, she developed a keen interest in international affairs. After college, a Fulbright grant took her to Jamaica, where she worked on an environmental education project.

Returning to Albany, she took a position with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as an environmental reviewer. There, she assessed the environmental impact of proposed projects and applied environmental law and regulation. This experience sparked her interest in law. "It was so cool. I had never been around lawyers and that was the first time I thought about the power of the law," Daina recalls. "I realized that it was impacting the way these FEMA projects were being constructed and bringing environmental values into the real world.”

Finding a home at Freshfields

Armed with a law degree, Daina came across an opportunity at Freshfields to work for former partner Lucy Reed in the New York office. Daina was drawn to Freshfields' global nature and its international disputes practice. She found herself working on international arbitrations with parties, experts, and lawyers from all over the world. Daina particularly enjoyed representing governments in international disputes.

Daina credits partners Lucy Reed and Reza Mohtashami - both now fellow Freshfields alumni – for their skill and leadership, with both serving as mentors for Daina. Daina emphasizes the value of thorough preparation, a lesson she learned from Reza. She also highlights Lucy’s direct and constructive management style, which taught her the importance of providing timely feedback.

After nearly three years at Freshfields, Daina and her husband moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where her husband had accepted a job. She recalls being surprised at how emotional she was to be leaving Freshfields, a bittersweet farewell as she felt ready for a new chapter.

Rekindling a passion for animal welfare

In Baton Rouge, Daina reconnected with her childhood love for animals. Volunteering at a local animal shelter, she realized that animal welfare was her true calling. "I had been nursing this rescued dog back from sickness and hadn’t been able to hold or pet her for weeks. I remember the first day I was able to actually hold her, it was like my heart just exploded," she says. "This is my issue. I really deeply care about this".

Discovering the field of animal law through the American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee, she found a way to combine her legal skills with her passion. She embarked on a new career path, eventually becoming General Counsel of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and then Mercy for Animals.

Driven by the scale of animal suffering in industrial animal agriculture, Daina sought to make a difference through legal advocacy. She found an opportunity to work on the intersection of climate change and animal agriculture at Yale Law School.

Now as the Legal Director of the Law, Environment and Animals Program at Yale, she is working to address the environmental and ethical concerns surrounding industrial animal agriculture. "I'm really thrilled to be working at this intersection of how our treatment of animals in these large industrial systems is bad for them and it's bad for the environment and it's bad for us," she explains.

The rule of law and the next generation

Daina's advice to young lawyers is to find their passion and pursue it. However, she also acknowledges that the path may not always be clear. "It's OK if you're doing things that aren’t what you imagined you were going to be doing," she says. "Every legal work experience is a tremendous learning opportunity."

She emphasizes the value of diverse experiences, from private law firms to non-profits and academia. Looking back on her career, Daina appreciates the law's aspiration to create a just and fair society. She believes that lawyers have a responsibility to defend the rule of law, especially in challenging times. "The rule of law does not defend itself," she asserts. "We as lawyers and citizens have to defend it."

Daina sees a connection between standing up for the vulnerable—including animals—and upholding the principles of justice. She’s glad that her legal path has brought her to work that would have made sense to her as a child: "There's a lot to be said for being true to your young self," she reflected.

A lasting Freshfields connection

Daina has remained engaged with Freshfields through her work with the International Coalition for Animal Protection (ICFAP), which is a Pro Bono partner of Freshfields. She serves on the board alongside Nigel Blackaby KC, a Freshfields partner in Washington, DC. Together, they are working towards an international treaty for the protection of animals.

Outside of her legal work, Daina counts many of her former Freshfields colleagues as friends today. And when she’s not saving animals and the planet? She loves doing triathlons – with friends and fellow Freshfields alumni by her side.