Mar 08, 2021
Tribal Justice
The Native Nations Law & Policy Center connects students to Native American communities to strengthen legal systems on tribal lands while protecting and advancing tribal cultural and legal values.
Through clinical programs led by eminent faculty, the Native Nations Law & Policy Center addresses critical public policy issues facing Native tribes while offering students invaluable opportunities for legal training. Our Tribal Legal Development Clinic serves Native American communities directly, providing legal expertise and support to those most in need, while students engage with tribal leaders, officers and attorney to contribute services to Indian tribes. A joint J.D./M.A. degree in American Indian Studies offers an integrated study program to produce law graduates with a rich understanding of tribal cultures. Additionally, The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria has established the Graton Scholarship, which provides a three-year, full tuition scholarship to students interested in pursuing legal careers in Native American law.
Projects
Supporting Native Nations
Resources and educational opportunities are interwoven to sustain and enrich Indian nations’ laws and focus on key public policy issues and challenges.
Tribal Legal Development Clinic
Offering law students the unique experience to work directly with tribal leaders, officers, and attorneys to offer direct services to Indian tribes.
Tribal Learning Community & Educational Exchange
Developing relevant courses for delivery to Native community members and UCLA students interested in American Indian Studies.
Who We Are
- Founding Director
- Director
- TLDC Director
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Faculty
William Wood
Visiting Professor
Student Opportunities
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Graton Scholarship
The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria has established the Graton Scholarship, which provides a three-year, full tuition scholarship to students interested in pursuing legal careers in Native American law. The inaugural cohort of Graton scholars will also receive $10,000 a year to defray living expenses in addition to tuition.
More information about the Graton Scholarship.
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Native American Law Students Association
The Native Nations Law and Policy Center works closely with the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA). NALSA provides a support network for Native American law students and creates a base from which work can be done for the advancement of Native peoples.
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Joint Degree in Law and American Indian Studies
UCLA's J.D./M.A. American Indian Studies joint degree program is designed to produce law graduates who have a rich understanding of tribal cultures that will deepen their legal knowledge, facilitate their practice in the field of Indian law, and enhance their service to Indian nations.
For more details, visit Joint Degree in Law and American Indian Studies.
Event Recordings
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2021 Events
FEBRUARY 16, 2021
McGirt v. Oklahoma: Reflections on a Landmark Case and What We’ve Learned So Far
The groundbreaking case of McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020) altered the landscape of criminal jurisdiction within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation. Join us for a provocative conversation with the legal pioneers working on the front lines for more than six months now and hear their reflections on both successes and on-going challenges.
Guest speakers: Jonodev Chaudhuri, Ambassador, Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Sara Hill, Attorney General of the Cherokee Nation; Stacy Leeds, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law
Moderated By: Angela R. Riley, Director, Native Nations Law and Policy Center, UCLA School of Law
VideoMARCH 11, 2021
United States v. Cooley: Threats to Tribal Police Power and Native Governance|
On March 23rd the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in US v. Cooley, a case addressing the scope of tribal police officers' power to temporarily detain and search non-Indians traveling through the reservation and suspected of violating state or federal law. Join us for a lively and gripping conversation with a remarkable panel of Indian country lawyers involved in the case as they discuss the legal and practical implications of Cooley's outcome for public safety on reservations.
VideoAPRIL 12, 2021
Launch Event!
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Tribal Implementation Toolkit
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a standard-setting document that recognizes that Indigenous Peoples have rights to self-determination, equality, property, culture, religious freedom, health, and economic well-being, among many others. It calls on States to undertake legal reform that will remedy past violations and ensure current protections for Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The "Tribal Implementation Toolkit," produced in collaboration between the Native American Rights Fund, the University of Colorado Law School, and UCLA Law's Tribal Legal Development Clinic, considers how tribes can support and implement the Declaration through tribal lawmaking.
Learn more about the toolkit and the project to implement: https://un-declaration.narf.org/
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2020 Events
MAY 29, 2020
Tribal Legal Development Clinic Brown Bag Lunch Series
Indian Child Welfare Act Constitutionality and Litigation Trends
Kate Fort, Director, Indian Law Clinic, Michigan State University College of Law
VideoJUNE 5, 2020
Tribal Legal Development Clinic Brown Bag Lunch Series
Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund
Ethel Branch, Kanji & Katzen
VideoJUNE 12, 2020
Tribal Legal Development Clinic Brown Bag Lunch Series
Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Kristen Carpenter, Council Tree Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School
VideoJUNE 19, 2020
Tribal Legal Development Clinic Brown Bag Lunch Series
Intersection of Cultural Resource and Environmental Protection
Geneva E. B. Thompson, Associate General Counsel, Yurok Tribe
VideoJUNE 26, 2020
Tribal Legal Development Clinic Brown Bag Lunch Series
McGirt Debrief
Riyaz Kanji, Kanji & Katzen and Matthew L.M. Fletcher, Professor of Law, Michigan State University
VideoJULY 10, 2020
Tribal Legal Development Clinic Brown Bag Lunch Series
Advocating for Indian Country: Policy & Litigation
Derrick Beetso, General Counsel and Fatima Abbas, Director of Policy and Legislative Counsel, National Congress of American Indians
VideoSEPTEMBER 9, 2020
Red Rising: Indigenous Peoples and Political Participation Series
McGirt v. Oklahoma: A Mvskoke Triumph
Moderated by Professor Angela R. Riley. Featuring: Ambassador Jonodev Chaudhuri, Ambassador, Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Professor Sarah Deer, Professor, University of Kansas; Dean Stacy Leeds, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law at the University of Arkansas
VideoSEPTEMBER 17, 2020
Red Rising: Indigenous Peoples and Political Participation Series
The Execution of Lezmond Mitchell: Disdain for Life and Sovereignty
Moderated by: Professor Angela R. Riley. Featuring; Jennifer Denetdale, Professor of American Studies, University of New Mexico; Matthew L.M. Fletcher, Professor of Law, Michigan State University College of Law; Addie C. Rolnick, Professor of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Carl Slater, Navajo Nation Council Delegate
VideoOCTOBER 2, 2020
Red Rising: Indigenous Peoples and Political Participation Series: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Moderated by Professor Angela R. Riley. Featuring: Kristen Carpenter, Council Tree Professor of Law & Director, American Indian Law Program, University of Colorado Law School; United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Walter Echohawk, President, Pawnee Business Council, Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
VideoOCTOBER 15, 2020
Red Rising: Indigenous Peoples and Political Participation Series: Indigenous Representation in Political Systems
Representation is a core remedy for invisibility. This notably all-female panel will explore the barriers facing Indigenous women and political office, and the hope and tangible change that comes with piercing the representation ceiling. Representatives from both state and national offices will explore how their presence has impacted the offices they hold, and how, despite their constituency, they are called to represent all of Indian country.
Moderated by Professor Angela R. Riley. Featuring: Representative Sharice Davids; Representative Ruth Buffalo; Senate Candidate Paulette Jordan;Tribal Advisor Christina Snider
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