Announcements

Stanford’s Second Annual Native American Law Conference – February 7th

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Conference page here.

Breakfast                                                     9:30am-10:30am

Panel #1                                                     10:30am-12:00pm

(Constructing Judicial Systems)

Lunch & Cultural Event                              12:00pm-2:00pm

Panel #2                                                     2:15pm-3:45pm

(Environmental Human Rights in Indian Country)

Panel #3                                                     4:00pm-5:30pm

(Intellectual Property Law and Native Representation)

Reception                                                    5:30pm-7:00pm

 

Confirmed panelists include Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks (Cuddy & McCarthy); Stephanie Fryberg (University of Washington); Cynthia Gomez (State of California); Darcie Houck (Partner, Fredericks Peebles & Morgan); Adrienne Keene (Native Appropriations); Jessica Koski (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community); Gail Small (Native Action); Gerald Torres (Cornell Law); and Paula Yost (Dentons).

3rd Annual Tribal Lands Conference @ University of Arizona

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

The University of Arizona Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office/Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program is hosting its 3rd Annual Tribal Lands Conference, scheduled for January 26th and 27th, 2015.

Indian Probate Seminar 2015_Agenda

American Indian Law Journal at Seattle Univ. Law Call For Papers

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

The American Indian Law Journal at Seattle University is seeking content

My name is Jillian Held and I am the Content Editor for the American Indian Law Journal at Seattle University. The American Indian Law Journal is a fairly new academic journal. In an effort to fill a critical gap in the amount of current information available to those interested in the rapidly developing field of Indian law, the Journal employs an innovative online format. Containing a hybrid of shorter, timelier articles, published in parallel with legal developments in the field, as well as traditional, lengthier journal articles analyzing larger topics, the Journal appeals to a broad range of readers.

The Editorial Board is seeking content. This is a formal publication and will be available to practitioners, professors, students, and the general public across the country. If you are interested in providing content please submit articles to me by email. We do have a very limited number of slots open for our Spring 2015 edition, so if you are interested in submitting an article for Spring please email me your articles as soon as possible.

My email is heldj@seattleu.edu.

Reminder: USSC Tribal Issues Advisory Group Application Deadline Jan. 9, 2015

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here.

Upcoming Symposium: Examining the Roots of Human Trafficking and Exploitation

Victoria Sweet

January 29-30, 2015  UCLA School of Law

There will be a panel devoted specifically to Indigenous communities.

See flyer for registration details:

UCLA Symposium Flyer

NAICJA Webinar on Tribal Public Defense, January 8, 2015

Victoria Sweet

Join the National American Indian Court Judges Association and the American Indian Law Center for the first in a series of four upcoming webinars on Emerging Practices in Civil Legal Assistance and Criminal Indigent Defense. The goal of these webinars is to share four emerging practices that incorporate the philosophy, values, and characteristics of successful and effective legal assistance practices. These webinars will also share and highlight multiply programs that are currently implementing these practices.

Webinar 1 – “Tribal Initiatives: Tribal Public Defense and How to Use Existing Resources to Provide Holistic Defense in Tribal Communities”

Thursday, January 8, 2015 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. (MST)

Register now for this free webinar at

https://naicja.webex.com/naicja/onstage/g.php?d=662539071&t=a

As tribal governments consider expanding their jurisdiction through the Tribal Law and Order Act, providing effective assistance of counsel to the accused is at the forefront. This webinar discusses one model of public defense and how it can be adapted to fit any community. With technical assistance from the Center for Holistic Defense at the Bronx Defenders in New York, the Tribal Defenders for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana use holistic defense to work toward solutions for their clients who struggle with the criminal justice system. Learn how in-house psychological and social work services as well as existing resources in your community can improve client outcomes.

Presenters:

Ann Sherwood, Attorney, Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Alex Sierck, Project Director of the Center for Holistic Defense, Bronx Defenders

Desiree Fox, Case Manager and Program Manager, Tribal Defenders Office Holistic Defense Program.

 

Moderators:

A. Nikki Borchardt Campbell, Program Administrator, NAICJA

Francine Jaramillo, Staff Attorney, American Indian Law Center, Inc.

This webinar series is supported by Grant No. 2011-AL-BX-K002 awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

Questions? Contact Francine Jaramillo at jaramillo@law.unm.edu or call (505) 277-5462

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe RFP for Judicial Services and Prosecutorial Services

Victoria Sweet

Prosecutorial Services RFP Announcement:

The Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation is soliciting Requests for Proposal from interested parties to represent the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe by providing prosecutorial services for misdemeanor violations of the Pyramid Lake Tribal Law and Order Code.  The pay is set out as $437.50 per session plus mileage, which includes all work that relates to prosecutorial services, up to 4 sessions per month and including any appeals hearings.

Full Details here: RFP PROSECUTOR 12-22-14

Judicial Services RFP Announcement:

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe is soliciting Proposals from interested parties to contract with the Tribe to provide judicial services by acting as the Chief Judge of the Pyramid Lake Tribal Court in accordance with the Pyramid Lake Tribal Law and Order Code.  The pay is set out as $400.00 plus mileage per scheduled court day, which includes all work that relates to providing judicial services, at approximately 4-6 court days per month.

Full Details here: Chief Judge RFP Final 12-22-14

 

Upcoming Webinar and RFP for Joint Jurisdictional Collaborations

Victoria Sweet

On Wednesday, January 7, 2014 at 3 p.m. eastern time, members of Project TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) will present a webinar on tribal-state collaboration.

Background

BJA, in partnership with the Center for Evidence-Based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), released the attached webinar and RFP for joint jurisdictional collaborations. There is much excitement with this next round of funding and tribal and state inquiries are beginning to grow.

PROJECT Team staffed by Justices Korey Wahwassuck and John P. Smith who created the first joint jurisdictional court between the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Cass County District Court in Minnesota are working with other tribal-county teams to help develop and implement joint jurisdictional collaborations. This past year, PROJECT Team worked and mentored a team of the Shingle Springs Rancheria-El Dorado County to develop a tribal-state juvenile court with wrap-around services. The juvenile court is scheduled to start up Spring 2015.  The feedback from the tribe and county participants has been incredible. Cudos to Allison Leof the PROJECT Team lead, the Justices and Jennifer Fahey, the evaluator. The outcome of this work is for PROJECT Team to developing a guide for tribal-state-local communities to develop and implement joint jurisdictional collaborations.

Formal Announcement:

Webinar – TEAM Webinar Description FINAL and Revised Long Version 12-8-14

Congratulations to Judge Raquel Montoya-Lewis, Appointed to Whatcom County Superior Court

Victoria Sweet

Here is the press release from Governor Inslee’s office:

Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that he is appointing Raquel Montoya-Lewis to a new seat on the Whatcom County Superior Court. The new position was approved by the state Legislature in 2013 and established a fourth judge on the bench.

Montoya-Lewis currently serves as the Chief Judge for the Nooksack and Upper Skagit Indian Tribes in Washington and is an associate professor at Western Washington University. She is also an Appellate Court Judge for the Nisqually Tribal Court of Appeals and the Northwest Intertribal Court System and previously for the Nooksack Tribal Court of Appeals. Montoya-Lewis is from the Pueblo of Isleta and the Pueblo of Laguna Indian tribes, and will be the only Native American Superior Court judge in Washington state.

“Raquel’s 15 years of experience as a judge will be well appreciated on the Superior Court,” said Inslee. “She is wise and has a strong commitment to service and to promoting justice. I know she will serve the community and the court exceptionally well.”

Montoya-Lewis is currently an appointee on the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and was appointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire to the Washington Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice. She has a J.D. and master’s in social work from the University of Washington and her B.A. from the University of New Mexico.

Montoya-Lewis’ term on the Whatcom County Superior Court begins in January 2015.

Link to the press release here.

Link to news article on Judge Montoya-Lewis’ appointment here.

House and Senate Repeal Alaska Exception (Section 910) of VAWA

Victoria Sweet

Now it’s off to the President for his signature or veto:

Senator Lisa Murkowski and Congressman Don Young today teamed up to make sure that Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Act was repealed. Through numerous conversations with their House and Senate colleagues, the two Alaska lawmakers succeeded in having the provision removed from the law.

In the final days of the 113th Congress, Representative Young worked directly with House leadership – including several interactions with Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and other senior House members – to secure expedited passage of the bill in one of the House’s final actions prior to adjourning.  Meanwhile, Senator Murkowski worked with her Senate colleagues to build support for the action, including a call across Capitol Hill before the vote to Majority Leader McCarthy, encouraging his consent for the move that officially took place after tonight’s final budget vote.

“Alaska tribes asked me to repeal Section 910 of VAWA, and I thank the Alaska Delegation for working with me on their behalf,” said Murkowski.  “But it doesn’t stop today; in the new Congress beginning next month, it will be imperative to ensure that our tribal courts in Alaska receive the funding they need to deliver the justice and protection the need and deserve – not only for training and capacity development, but also for operations.”

“Today I am pleased that the House of Representatives passed S. 1474, a bill which repeals Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA).  In the many conversations I have had with Alaska Native leaders and families since the reauthorization of VAWA last year, I heard a consistent, clear, and powerful message: that Section 910 was an error and must be repealed,” said Congressman Young.  “I was proud to work with Lisa in these final moments to ensure that one of the final acts of the House of Representatives in the 113th Congress was to empower Alaska’s tribes and uplift Alaska Native women.”

Link to press release here.