This presentation is for entertainment purposes only and lays out some fundamental legal 101 on zombies and dealing with zombies, including a Quiz to find out if YOU are a zombie and what your rights are.

1. Zombies,
Social Media &
Law:
A Primer on Legal
Issues Regarding the
Dead, the Undead, &
Those in Transition in a
Socially-Connected
World
By: Zombie, Esq.
@ZombieEsq
zombieesq@gmail.com

2. Disclaimer
This presentation is offered for entertainment
purposes only and does not constitute legal advice
of any kind now known or ever to be invented in
the future for the living, the dead, the undead, and
those in transition.
Website screen shots are provided under the Fair
Use exception and no copyright infringement or
trademark violations are intended.

3. Overview
• Introduction
• What is a Zombie?
• Quiz: Are YOU a Zombie?
• Legal Defenses for Dealing with Zombies
• Legal Defenses IF You Are a Zombie
• Zombie Rights & Advocacy
• Zombies in a Socially-Connected World
• Last Rites (Thoughts)
• Q&A
• Acknowledgments

4. Introduction
My name is Zombie, Esq. and I am an
attorney focusing on:
• The rights of underprivileged
human species in varying states of
life and death;
• Educating the public about the legal
issues relating to zombie
engagement, including criminal (i.e.
murder, mutilation of corpses);
• Intellectual property (costumes,
makeup design, publicity rights);
and
• Civil rights (Zombie Freedom of
Affiliation); etc.

5. What is a Zombie?
A. A dead person that is brought back to life
through a curse or a mutation.
B. A person whose behavior or responses are
wooden, listless, or seemingly rote;
automaton.
C. A snake god worshiped in West Indian and
Brazilian religious practices of African origin.
D. A tall drink made typically with several kinds
of rum, citrus juice, and often apricot liqueur.
E. All of the above.

6. What is a Zombie?
The answer is “E” – All of the above. But for our
discussion we will focus and elaborate on “A”.
A zombie is a “person” that has transitioned (either
dead or lost its humanness) and is brought back to
life through a curse (voodoo, necromancy) or a
mutation and has recovered some vital functions
like movement.
Adapted from:
http://zombies.monstrous.com/definition_of_zombies/

7. What is a Zombie?
Zombies can be classified based on how they
became a zombie – curse, genetic mutation,
virus or supernatural reason.
The Zombie Nation Website includes such
categories as biological, metaphysical, chemical,
technological, energy (or alien).
http://www.thezombienation.com/zombies-defined/

8. Are YOU a Zombie? Quiz
Can you move?
Do you have dark circles under your eyes?
Do you have blotchy grey spots all over your body?
Do you have stains on your clothes – blood,
ketchup, or other?
Are your clothes in need of repair?
Can you make any sounds other than moaning?
Do you have a craving for walnuts, human flesh
and/or organs?

9. Are YOU a Zombie? Quiz
If you answered YES to two or more of those
questions YOU may be a zombie.
However, if you read and answered any of the
questions most likely YOU are NOT a zombie –
most zombies have lost the ability to read, since
they have lost the use of their brains.

10. Legal Defenses for Dealing with
Zombies
Legally speaking, what is legal or not in regards
to dealing with Zombies depends on the
jurisdiction you are in and how they define
zombies.
So do they consider zombies pests, domestic
terrorists, enemies combatants, dead corpses,
dangerous animal species, sick people?
Depending on the definition different laws and
standards apply.

11. Legal Defenses for Dealing with
Zombies
The first question is always can you legally kill a
zombie?
• Most state laws indicate you cannot kill
something (or someone) that is already dead – so
if they became a zombie after they died, go
ahead, you are safe.
• If they became a zombie due to an illness or virus
and a cure is being worked on you may have to
wait a while before you go out hunting.

12. Legal Defenses for Dealing with
Zombies
• Self-defense however is looked at as valid but you
cannot protect yourself, your property or your
loved ones with excessive force, so make sure it
really was either you or the zombie.
• Some states have laws against the mutilation of
corpses, or discharging a fire arm within city
limits, or disturbing the peace. Be aware of the
regulations in your neighborhood, as well as any
other territories you may be planning to escape
to.

13. Legal Defenses for Dealing with
Zombies
Can you train a zombie to do work for you?
• It has been suggested that lobotomizing a
zombie to remove their incessant hunger for
human flesh would allow them to become
peaceful and efficient workers
• They would not require health benefits and
their costs of living are nominal; so pay levels
would be low.
• Concerns over discrimination and harassment
against or for zombies may become an issue.

14. Legal Defenses IF You Are a Zombie
American with Disabilities Act – if you were
infected with a virus and your zombie-condition
is in fact related to the illness you may not be
held liable for your conduct, as you would not
have the mens rea (mental reasoning) to control
your actions if you are ever cured.

15. Legal Defenses IF You Are a Zombie
Insanity Defense – No one in their right mind
would do what you do as a zombie – eating
brains, dismembering live people, chasing
buzzards away from recently deceased corpses –
so no jury in their right mind would withhold a
verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. That’s
just crazy!

16. Legal Defenses IF You Are a Zombie
Self Defense for a Hate Crime – you did not
mean to injure that person, you were only trying
to make friends, but they saw you and
stereotyped you and proceeded to hit you with
a steel pipe on your head so you had to defend
yourself.
It also did not help that zombie-speak is not
taught in mainstream schools, so the person did
not understand your moans to them to stop.

17. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
Citizenship and Voting Rights – most of us are
taught that the only way to change the system is
to be part of it - but there is currently no
Zombie Suffrage bills being presented in
Congress.
Not to despair there are plenty of Zombie Rights
Advocacy groups taking up the fight.

18. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
• Association of Americans Returned from the
Grave (AARG)
• Citizens for Undead Rights and Equality (CURE)
• Minnesota Zombie Rights Activists
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies
(PETZ)
• Society for the Preservation of Zombie Rights
• Zombie Rights Campaign

19. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
Association of Americans Returned from the Grave (AARG)
http://www.zombiepresidents.com/aarg.html

20. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
Citizens for Undead Rights and Equality (CURE)
http://www.citizensfortheundead.com/index.html

21. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
Minnesota Zombie Rights Activists
http://techland.time.com/2010/03/02/zombie-of-the-week-the-minnesota-
zombie-rights-activists/

22. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies (PETZ)
http://joinpetz.org/

23. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
Society for the Preservation of Zombie Rights
http://www.flickr.com/groups/41894195084@N01/

24. Zombie Rights and Advocacy
Zombie Rights Campaign
http://zombierightscampaign.org/

25. Zombies in a Socially-Connected World
A few things to consider when it comes to zombies and
social media.
• You can be held liable for what you post on social
media sites, like Facebook® and Twitter®. You do not
want to be sued for defamation for calling someone
a Zombie when he/she is not one. Make sure to
have a medical examiner report indicating such
status of your false comment can land you in hot
water.
• And don’t use the “I’m a zombie” excuse to not go to
work and have a photo of you partying on Facebook.

26. Zombies in a Socially-Connected World
• If you are a Zombie and using social media make sure
that you are what you say you are. The Federal Trade
Commission has issued a noticed that they will be
cramping down on fraudulent credentials on social
media profiles. So make sure your LinkedIn® photo is
one taken after you became a Zombie, not the before
“human” one of 5 years ago. And update your
current position. Falsifying your information can lead
to being fined for false advertising.

27. Last Rites (thoughts)
Of course there are those that say if we were to be
experiencing a true Zombie Apocalypse rule of law
would break down, as survival would become the only
priority.
I implore you that if you are preparing for such an
event to take place that you also prepare your mind
and retain your sensibility and sense of humanness.
For if not, the most dangerous things out there won’t
be the zombies!

28. Last Rites (thoughts)
It is important to note that zombie law and laws
applicable to zombies is a new and evolving practice
area of law.
This presentation offers information that was verified
and up to date at the time of its publication.
We appreciate any updates that you may have or
notices on any new laws or developments in this legal
area that you may become aware of.

29. Q&A
If you have questions relating to this presentation, or any zombie legalities
send them to zombieesq@gmail.com. Questions will be reviewed and
selected answers will be posted on the Zombie, Esq Facebook ® Fan Page at
https://www.facebook.com/dgzombieesq.

30. Q&A
I’ll post and answer this one before it comes up,
since I know it is on all your minds-
Why don’t Zombies eat lawyers?
A. Don’t like the taste – too bitter.
B. They think lawyers have no hearts so they’re just like them.
C. Zombies understand Lawyers can help them and you don’t bite the
hand that feeds you.
D. All of the above
E. You can think of many others – share them zombieesq@gmail.com

31. More Resources
Zombiepocalypse and the Law (A FAQ) by Daniel Peters
http://wedonthavetimeforthis.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/zombiepocalypse-
and-the-law-a-faq-regarding-your-legal-rights-and-duties-during-a-zombie-
apocalypse/
Zombies and the Constitution by Mike Dorf
http://www.dorfonlaw.org/2011/12/zombies-and-constitution.html
Legality of Zombie Killing by The High Road
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-234286.html
Zombie Nutrition: 5 Brainy Foods to Add to Your Diet
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/314060/20120314/zombie-apocalypse-
nutrition-eat-brain-food.htm

32. More Resources
For an awesome Big Zombie Tour highlighting different location sites used for
the filming of Zombieland, The Walking Dead, and other fabulous movies
around the Atlanta, Georgia area, visit Atlanta Movie Tours. Tell Patti and
Carrie that Zombie, Esq. sent you. http://atlantamovietours.com/

33. Acknowledgements
Zombie, Esq. is a fictional
character created by Deborah
Gonzalez, Esq., a real attorney,
who focuses her practice on
intellectual property in the
arts, music, and entertainment
industries. You can find out
more about her practice at
www.dgonzalezesq.com.