National Native American Law Students Association

National Native American Law Students Association
Name	National Native American Law Students Association
Formation	1973
Type	Student organization
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States

National Native American Law Students Association is a U.S.-based student organization founded to support Indigenous law students and advance Native American legal issues. It connects students from tribal colleges, public institutions, and private universities across the United States, collaborating with tribal governments, federal agencies, and legal institutions. The association engages with issues related to tribal sovereignty, tribal courts, and federal Indian law through advocacy, education, and professional development.

History

The organization traces its origins to early 1970s movements such as the Occupation of Alcatraz and the activism surrounding the American Indian Movement, which influenced legal mobilization in venues like the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act debates and litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States. Founders included law students and faculty connected to institutions like University of New Mexico School of Law, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, and Harvard Law School clinical programs that had ties to tribal legal defense projects and tribal advocacy organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund and the Indian Law Resource Center. Early conferences convened alongside national gatherings like the National Congress of American Indians and engaged with landmark cases including Worcester v. Georgia precedents and statutory frameworks like the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Mission and Objectives

The association's stated mission focuses on supporting Indigenous students preparing for practice in forums such as tribal appellate courts, federal trial courts, and administrative forums like the Bureau of Indian Affairs, while promoting scholarship on cases like McGirt v. Oklahoma and statutes including the Major Crimes Act. Objectives emphasize mentorship with practitioners from firms like Dorsey & Whitney and advocacy groups including the Native American Rights Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union when Native rights intersect with constitutional litigation before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit or the United States Supreme Court. The organization promotes career pipelines into state courts such as the Alaska Supreme Court and federal agencies like the Department of the Interior.

Membership and Chapters

Membership includes students from law schools such as Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, University of Oklahoma College of Law, and tribal law programs at Diné College and Salish Kootenai College. Chapters operate at regional hubs reflecting legal cultures in places like Oklahoma, Alaska, New Mexico, Montana, and Washington (state), and partner with tribal nations including the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Membership categories often mirror alliances with bar associations such as the American Bar Association and specialty groups like the Federal Bar Association.

Programs and Activities

Programs include mentorship initiatives with judges from courts such as the Federal Circuit and practitioners from firms involved in cases like United States v. Kagama-era litigation analogues, externships with tribal courts such as the Yakama Nation Tribal Court, and clinical placements with the Native American Rights Fund and the Indian Law Clinic at various law schools. Activities encompass moot court competitions modeled on appellate advocacy before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and seminars on statutes such as the Indian Reorganization Act and treaties like the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868). Collaborative projects have included amicus efforts coordinated with organizations like the National Congress of American Indians and policy briefings for the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior.

Conferences and Events

Annual conferences convene delegates, faculty, and tribal leaders and have featured speakers from institutions such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and law schools like Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School. Events have included panel discussions on precedent-setting litigation including Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad-era tax implications for tribes, workshops on tribal economic development involving entities like the National Indian Gaming Commission, and joint summits with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Native American Rights Fund. Regional symposiums have been held in cities with legal centers such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anchorage, Alaska, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Governance and Leadership

Governance typically comprises an elected student board and advisory council with elders and attorneys from tribes such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and legal scholars from institutions including University of Washington School of Law and University of Arizona. Leadership roles often include a national president, vice presidents for outreach and programming, and liaisons to organizations like the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice and the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. Past advisory members have included litigators and judges who have served on courts such as the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia and tribal appellate benches.

Notable Alumni and Impact

Alumni have gone on to serve as tribal judges and elected officials in bodies like the Navajo Nation Council, litigators at the Native American Rights Fund, faculty at institutions such as Michigan State University College of Law and University of New Mexico School of Law, and officials in agencies like the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Graduates have participated in landmark cases including filings before the United States Supreme Court and appellate litigation in circuits such as the Eighth Circuit and Tenth Circuit. The association's impact is visible in strengthened pipelines to tribal judiciaries, expanded scholarship on treaties like the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ramifications for Indigenous communities, and collaborations with organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians and the Center for Native American Youth.

Category:Native American organizations in the United States Category:Student organizations in the United States Category:Legal organizations in the United States