Event Information

Legislative Affairs Manager, Alicia Prygoski works to pass laws that help animals and defeat legislation that harms them. Alicia oversees federal legislation, as well as legislative campaigns in select priority states for the organization.

Before joining the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Alicia worked as a public policy coordinator for farmed animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States and as a policy associate at the Animal Welfare Institute. She is a board member at Barn Sanctuary, a farmed animal sanctuary in Michigan. 

Alicia has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Western Michigan University-Cooley where she founded and ran the school’s Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapter. In 2016 she received the Wanda A. Nash Award from the State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section for advancing animal law in the state. 

Alicia resides in Washington D.C.

Beth Padgett was named Director of Lawyers Helping Lawyers at the SC Bar in August of 2022, after having served as Co-Director and Assistant Director since coming to LHL in December of 2010. Beth received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts in Human Behavior and Conflict Management from Columbia College. She has completed numerous graduate hours in counseling and addiction studies at USC and holds a certification in drug and alcohol counseling through the South Carolina Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors. She recently completed certification as a Grief Specialist through University of Wisconsin at Madison Continuing Education Program. Mindfulness and other contemplative practices have been the foundation of her life and work for over twenty years. She completed the Mindfulness for Professionals Program at Duke Integrative Medicine Center in 2011, Phase 1 of Koru Mindfulness Teacher Certification, a mindfulness program for emerging adults developed at Duke University; a 200-hour yoga teacher training course in 2014, teacher training in Y12SR (Yoga for 12-Step Recovery) in 2015, and numerous continuing education hours in yoga, including laughter yoga and yoga for grief recovery, and mindfulness, including Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery.

Caitlin Foley is a Staff Attorney at the Animal Legal Defense Fund. As a Staff Attorney at ALDF, Caitlin Foley focuses on a range of civil actions including challenges to unlawful agency actions that impact wild and farmed animals, and suits that seek to hold private actors accountable for their neglect of captive animals used for entertainment. Prior to working at ALDF, Caitlin served as a Fellow at Cornell University Law School's First Amendment Clinic, and spent two years as an Associate at Perkins Coie LLP.  Caitlin graduated in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2016 from the University of Chicago Law School.
 

Ted Corvey is a trial lawyer and litigator in the areas of Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, and Animal Law. In 2020 Ted was named a Top 40 under 40 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association, a Top 10 Under 40 Criminal Defense Lawyer by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys. Ted started his legal career as an Assistant Solicitor with the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Charleston, South Carolina. As a prosecutor, Ted handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from drug possession and DUI to drug trafficking and murder. Ted primarily served as a major case prosecutor throughout his time with the Ninth Circuit, but in 2014 he also assumed the responsibility as the lead animal cruelty and crimes prosecutor. In that role, Ted gained an intimate knowledge of animal related issues and animal law in South Carolina through working closely with local animal control units, rescue groups, shelters, and advocacy groups. In addition, Ted also prosecuted a wide array of animal crimes ranging from neglect, hoarding, and significant cruelty cases like that of Caitlyn the Dog. With a bad habit of taking his work home with him, Ted and his wife ultimately adopted Caitlyn following the resolution her case. Ted left the Solicitor’s Office in 2018 and helped found the Charleston based litigation firm of Kidd Corvey & Simpson and served as the firm’s managing partner. Presently, Ted formed the Corvey Law Firm in Charleston, South Carolina, but practices statewide, and he also serves on the Board of Directors of the Charleston Animal Society. 

Jim is the head of Ritchie & Associates, a unique law firm that represents select businesses, individuals and associations that value experienced attorneys who understand their industry or sport and can get things done. Jim is a highly experienced attorney who is licensed to practice in North Carolina and South Carolina. He brings a depth of knowledge across multiple areas, along with over thirty years of legal and public policy experience to the firm.
Jim is one of the leading attorneys in the region focused on the specific legal needs of equestrian-related businesses, horse owners, professional horsemen, and event organizers.  Jim has published several articles for The Aiken Horse and The South Carolina Lawyer on Equine Law. 
Concurrent with his professional career, Jim served in the South Carolina Senate for eight years and as Majority Whip for the last four years of his tenure. He earned a strong reputation for marshaling support for key initiatives and effectively negotiating with members of both parties to find common ground. His counsel remains in high demand today as he regularly advises clients, lawmakers, and state agency leaders on pressing public policy matters.
The firm is based in Spartanburg, South Carolina. In addition, as part of its strategic approach to meeting our clients' needs, it has a European office for the seamless representation of foreign companies expanding into the Carolinas.
Jim is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law. He earned his BA in Political Science at West Virginia University.  He is a Liberty Fellow, and serves on a variety of state and local boards.
© 2021 Ritchie & Associates LLC
 

Kelsey Gilmore-Futeral graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston, where she competed on the equestrian team, and magna cum laude from the Charleston School of Law, where she co-founded the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. She is an inaugural member of the SC Bar’s Animal Law Committee and served as its chair for five years. During her career, she has represented volunteer guardians ad litem, litigated family law cases in private practice, served as in-house counsel for a furniture distributor, and worked on state early childhood education policy. Most recently, she served as the South Carolina State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, securing legal wins for animals in the areas of pet store sales, humane tethering, animal trafficking, and judicial training on animal cruelty. She now works as a legislative attorney with Best Friends Animal Society where her focus is on changing laws and policies to end the euthanasia of adoptable animals in shelters. Kelsey has been active in pet therapy for over a decade, having four certified therapy dogs and serving on the board of directors as the secretary for Alliance of Therapy Dogs. In her free time, she enjoys vegan cooking, horseback riding, and spending time with her husband, stepdaughter and four dogs.

Mrs. Bluestein grew up in Charleston. She graduated with a BA in English from the College of Charleston, received a Master of Public Administration degree from USC, and a JD from the USC School of Law. She is licensed in LA and SC, and worked as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans before moving home to Charleston. She has practiced Family Law and mediation in Charleston since 1998. Mrs. Bluestein is the former President of the SC Women Lawyers' Association, the former President of the Charleston County Bar Association, and the current Charleston County Family Court Liaison Chair. She is also the current statewide Chair of the Resolution ofFee Disputes Board through the SC Bar Association. Mrs. Bluestein has been on the Boards of a number of charitable organizations, and is currently a Board member of the Foot Light Players and the Ladies' Benevolent Association; she is a Master of the Family Law Inn of Court and, together with her husband, is an active member of numerous collector car clubs.

Nicholas Arrivo is Managing Attorney for Wildlife with the Humane Society of the United States' Animal Protection Law department. Since joining the HSUS in 2013, he has litigated to protect domestic and international wildlife from trophy hunting and the fur trade, with a focus on the Endangered Species Act. He worked on HSUS lawsuits that: stopped a 2018 trophy hunting season on grizzly bears and returned them to the federal list of threatened species, obtained damages from major department stores for false advertising and labeling of fur garments, upheld the constitutionality of multiple municipal fur sales ban ordinances, and challenged the use of indiscriminate steel-jawed traps and snares for trophy game. In addition to litigating, he also advises HSUS campaigns and state directors on regulatory and legislative issues pertaining to wildlife. He is a 2013 graduate of Yale Law School. 

Scott Beckstead works as director of campaigns for Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Utah State University and his JD from the University of Utah, Beckstead worked as an attorney in private practice for 17 years on the central Oregon coast before going to work full-time in the animal protection sector. During that time he also served as the mayor of  Waldport, Oregon from 2002 to 2007.  He became known for his special expertise in the field of animal law, and has taught that subject at the University of Oregon and Willamette University law schools.  In 2000, he co-authored Animal Law, the first casebook on the subject, and continues to teach animal law, wildlife law and policy, Endangered Species Act, and cannabis law and policy as an adjunct professor of law at Willamette University. Before coming to work for the Center and AWA, Beckstead served in a multitude of roles for the Humane Society of the United States, including Oregon state director, equine protection specialist, and Rural Outreach director. He also helped lead a successful ballot measure campaign in 2016 to ban the trade in endangered wildlife in Oregon. Because of his close familiarity with horses, livestock, and farm animals, Beckstead provides training to law enforcement agencies on how to handle and work with those animals, and how to investigate equine and livestock cruelty and neglect.

V. Craig Jones, Jr. is currently a Senior Legal Advisor to Law Enforcement at the SC Department of Natural Resources. Craig holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree from The Citadel and Juris Doctorate degree from Campbell University School of Law.

Past professional experience includes the following:

Deputy Sheriff, Charleston County Sheriff's Office, (1994-1998); Attorney, Bostic Law Firm, PA (2001-2006); Adjunct Professor, The Citadel Graduate School (2003-2006); Guest lecturer, Charleston School of Law, (2005-2006) Solo Practice, V. Craig Jones, Attorney at Law, (2006-2013); Law Enforcement Legal Defense Attorney contract, Police Benevolent Association, (2005-2013); Town Prosecutor contract, Folly Beach, (2011-2013); State Constable, (2006-2013); Consultant, Police Experience Solutions, law enforcement training scenario company (2015), Sr. Legal Advisor to SCDNR Law Enforcement (2013-present)