Food law is a hot topic in today’s legal practice. For one thing, food is a highly-regulated product with fragmented oversight on the federal and state levels. Producers and retailers face an array of compliance obligations, especially as they operate in an increasingly inter-connected, globalized world. Even while the number of law school courses on food law proliferates to meet growing student demand, there remains substantial disagreement over just what constitutes food law. Can students tell firms they want to go into food law as a defined field of practice? Even for practicing lawyers, wrapping their arms around the contours of this nebulous field can be difficult at first.

For readers new to the field of food law in its many forms, this Practical Guide aims to provide an overview of what lawyers actually do to assist food and beverage clients across various domains of legal practice. It is written by practicing lawyers for practicing lawyers, with a focus on information that is both practical and actionable.