2015 Young Native Writers Essay Contest

Here.

The description:

The Young Native Writers Essay Contest is a writing contest for Native American high school students and is designed to encourage young Native Americans to write about their experiences as a member of a Native American community and the culture that inspires them.

The voices that emerge from this program honor the legacy of every Native American who has ever lived. Add your words to the thousands submitted through this project – all writers receive a Certificate of Honor for their submission.

The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation’s goal of promoting education and creating new opportunities for youth has inspired this essay contest. Partnering with Holland & Knight in this endeavor are the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Indian Education Association.

Paul Spruhan Article: “Indian Law on State Bar Exams In the Age of the Uniform Bar Examination”

In the March 2015 edition of the Federal Lawyer.

Federal Lawyer bar exam article FINAL

Cynthia Ford Article about Evidence Rules in Montana Tribal Courts…

in this month’s edition of the Montana Lawyer (see page 14).

February_2015_Montana_Lawyer_new

Federal Court Rejects Nonmember’s Challenge to Colorado River Indian Tribe’s Jurisdiction; Reservation Boundaries Challenge Unresolved

Here is the order in French v. Starr (D. Ariz.):

84 DCT Order

An excerpt:

Finding no impediment to this Court’s application of the doctrine of estoppel against Plaintiff, the Court concludes that Plaintiff is precluded by the terms of the Permit and by his conduct from asserting to this Court in the instant federal action that the lot he leased from CRIT was not within the boundaries of the Reservation to resist a determination that the Tribal Court had jurisdiction over the action brought by CRIT to evict Plaintiff and for damages. See Wendt, 2003 WL 21750676, at *5. The Court would also conclude that the Tribal Court properly applied the doctrine of estoppel to find its own jurisdiction in the underlying action, even though the lot may or may not be within the boundaries of the Reservation. The equitable considerations raised in this dispute— most notably, the policy of promoting tribal self-government and the development of tribal courts, see Iowa Mut. Ins. Co., 480 U.S. at 16-17, the recognition of a tribe’s inherent authority to exclude, see Water Wheel, 642 F.3d at 812-13, and the recognition of the government’s role as trustee of reservation land on behalf of the tribes, see Ruby, 588 F.2d at 704-05—weigh in favor of the Tribal Court’s application of the doctrine of estoppel to determine its jurisdiction in this matter.

And:

In concluding that this Plaintiff is estopped from asserting that the lot he leased from CRIT was not within the Reservation, the Court recognizes that the issue of the location of the Reservation’s boundary remains unresolved. Defendants rightly point out that, in the absence of estoppel, Plaintiff would have to overcome other obstacles in challenging CRIT’s title to the lot—none of which the Court need examine here— including whether the statute of limitations period has run on a challenge to the location of the Reservation’s boundary, whether the Secretary’s determination of the Reservation’s boundary is subject to collateral attack, and whether the United States and CRIT are indispensable parties to such a challenge under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 19.

Briefs are here.

News coverage here.

Iowa COA Affirms Misdemeanor Traffic Ticket over Challenge from Sac and Fox Tribal Member

Here is the opinion in Young v. State:

Iowa COA opinion

Stockbridge-Munsee Cert Stage Reply

Here:

2-10-15 Stockbridge ReplyBr. No.14-538

New LLM in Gaming Law

The Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will debut a new LLM program in Gaming Law and Regulation (the only such program in the U.S.) next fall. The degree is not specific to tribal gaming, but it includes courses in Federal Indian Law and U.S. Federal Gaming Law, plus other coursework relevant to anyone doing gaming law and regulation in any context. A one-page description is attached. More information can be found here:

 

http://law.unlv.edu/academics/GamingLaw

Seneca Member’s Indictment under Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act Proceeds

Here are the materials in United States v. Parry (E.D. Mo.):

197 Parry Motion to Dismiss

211 US Opposition

266 Parry Objections to MJ R&R

331 DCT Order

Employee Case Dismissed for Failure to Exhaust Tribal Remedies

Here are the materials in Resources for Indian Student Education Inc. v. Cedarville Rancheria of Northern Pauite Indians (E.D. Cal.):

14-1 Cedarville Motion to Dismiss

15-2 Cedarville Motion for Sanctions

18 Cedarville Tribal Court Motion to Dismiss

24 RISE Opposition to Rancheria Motion to Dismiss

25 RISE Opposition to Motion for Sanctions

26 RISE Opposition to Tribal Court Motion to Dismiss

29 Rancheria Reply

30 Tribal Court Reply

33 DCT Order

 

William Mitchell and Hamline Law Schools to Merge

Huge news, especially given that these schools have significant histories of Indian law programming.

News release here.

HT faculty lounge.