Author: Matthew L.M. Fletcher

N.Y. Federal Court Dismisses Most Claims in Cayuga Challenge to State Liquor License Denial

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the materials in Cayuga Nation v. New York State Liquor Authority (N.D. N.Y.):

16 Second Amended Complaint.pdfDownload
17-1 Motion to Dismiss.pdfDownload
20 Opposition.pdfDownload
26 Reply.pdfDownload
28-17 Proposed Amicus Brief of Council of Chiefs and Clan Mothers.pdfDownload
37 DCT Order.pdfDownload

Tribal Amicus Brief in QCX LLC v. Nessel

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Tribal Amicus Brief.pdfDownload

D.C. Circuit Briefs in Tohono O’Odham Nation v. Mullin [Border Wall Challenge]

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Opening Brief.pdfDownload
Salt River & Ak-Chin Amicus Brief.pdfDownload
Student Amicus Brief.pdfDownload
Center for Biological Diversity Amicus Brief.pdfDownload
Tribal Orgs Amicus Brief.pdfDownload

Prior post here.

Eighth Circuit Briefs in Challenge to Mille Lacs Band Ojibwe Trust Land Acquisition

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the materials in Morrison County v. Dept. of the Interior:

Appellant Brief.pdfDownload
Federal Answer Brief.pdfDownload
Mille Lacs Amicus Brief.pdfDownload

Lower court materials here [to be updated].

Aubol v. Andeavor Logistics LP Cert Petition [allotment trespass]

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Petition.pdfDownload

Question presented:

Whether individual Indian allottees with a current right of possession conferred by federal law have a federal common-law cause of action for trespass on their allotments.

Lower court materials here.

As Bryan Newland has been preaching lately (see his Strickland lecture), the federal courts have been treating tribal and Indian property rights as fungible because of their status as tribes and Indians, which is simply wrong. I’m glad Indian country is pushing back.

US PTO Rejects Tribal Immunity in Cigarette Trademark Dispute

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the materials in Philip Morris Inc. v. IP Services International Inc. and Sycuan
Tribal Development Corporation:

PTO DecisionDownload

Briefs:

Sycuan Sovereign Immunity BriefDownload
Philip Morris ResponseDownload
Sycuan ReplyDownload

2027 National NALSA Writing Competition Details

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the website:

27th Annual National NALSA Writing Competition

The goal of the National NALSA Writing Competition is to encourage law students to become involved with National NALSA and increase awareness and education regarding legal issues that impact Native Nations, Tribal organizations, and Indigenous communities and people.

This year, the Competition will be hosted by the Michigan Law Review Online!

Michigan Law Review Online is the online-exclusive counterpart of the Michigan Law Review, one of the oldest and most prestigious legal scholarship journals in the country. MLR Online places emphasis on timely legal scholarship and, in accord with that goal, has an expedited production process compared to most other journals.

Submissions are now being accepted! The gist? Here you go:

  • 4,000–8,000 words (Yes—you read that right. A much shorter writing requirement than traditional law review Notes and Articles; after all, our goal is to make legal scholarship ACCESSIBLE!);
  • Deadline: March 19, 2027; and
  • One of the best law journals in the country.

All of the rest of the nitty gritty details can be found at the link below for the 2027 NNALSA Writing Competition Rules.

This year, Manuel Lewis (Gila River Indian Community, first descendant) is serving as the Writing Competition Administrator. He is an Executive Online Editor of the Michigan Law Review and can be contacted at writingcompetition@nationalnalsa.org if you have any questions!