Registration for Friday, 04/23, Day 1: Health Care Issues and Negotiating 638 Contracts; The Federal Tribal Recognition Process: Successes & Challenges, https://www.montanabar.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1497435&group=

Friday, 05/07, Day 2: The Death Penalty in State & Federal Court; Holistic Responses in the Tribal Justice Systems,  https://www.montanabar.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1497436

Tribal Court Lay Advocates can join the Indian Law Section as an associate member here: https://www.montanabar.org/page/ILSassociatemembership (not required to attend CLE).

Indian Law Section CLE

Presented by the Indian Law Section, State Bar of Montana; 

With the Criminal Law Section, State Bar of Montana 

Friday, April 23, 2021 & Friday, May 7, 2021

(all times MST)

Day 1: Friday, April 23, 2021

12:45 – 1:00: Opening (Lillian Alvernaz, Indian Law Section Chair & Sam Alpert, State Bar of MT)

1:00 – 2:45: Health Care Issues and Negotiating 638 Contracts

• Panelists:  
  • Monte Mills, Associate Professor & Director of Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana 
  • Annette Brown, Attorney at Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
• Session Moderator: Maylinn Smith, Civil Prosecutor for the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
• Session Overview: Health care in Indian Country combines treaty rights, federal statutory requirements and tribal sovereignty principles.  The panelists will examine the history and foundational concepts supporting Indian health care, the challenges in meeting the current health care needs of Indian people and tribal communities, and the opportunities available to tribal governments when creating health care systems.

2:45 – 3:00: Break

3:00 – 4:45: The Federal Tribal Recognition Process: Successes & Challenges. 

• Panelists: 
  • Josh Clause (Mohawk Nation), Owner of Clause Law, PLLC
  • Chairman Gerald Gray (Montana Little Shell Chippewa Tribe), Chairman of Montana Little Shell Chippewa Tribe
  • Rebekah Salguero (Ocotillo Law and Policy Partners), General Counsel to Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
• Session Moderator: Lillian Alvernaz, Chair, Indian Law Section
• Session Overview: This presentation will provide an overview of the tribal federal recognition process through congress and executive action. This panel will discuss both successes in obtaining recognition, and address the weighty federal oversight. Specifically, the panel will explore the Little Shell’s journey to become federally recognized and the Mashpee Wampanoag’s recent fight to remain legitimate in the eyes of the federal government. 

4:45 – 5:00:  Closing

Day 2: (presented with the Criminal Law Section, State of Montana)

Friday, May 7, 2021

12:45 – 1:00: Opening (Lillian Alvernaz, Indian Law Section Chair; James Taylor, Criminal Law Section Chair; Sam Alpert, State Bar of Montana) 

1:00 – 2:45: The Death Penalty in State & Federal Courts

• Panelists: 
  • Michael Donahoe, Deputy Federal Defender, Federal Defenders of Montana
  • SK Rossi, Owner, Central House Strategies 
  • Gary Mitchell, Attorney, ACLU of New Mexico
• Session Moderator: James Taylor, Managing Attorney, Tribal Prosecutors Office, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
• Session Overview: The panel will present an overview of the federal death penalty and the ethical issues in representing someone facing a possible death sentence; the history of the death penalty in Montana with an emphasis on recent changes in the state system; and an in-depth discussion of United States v. Lezmond Mitchell. 

2:45 – 3:00: Break

3:00 – 4:45: Holistic Responses in the Tribal Justice System

• Panelists: 
  • Dr. Sarah Deer, Professor, University of Kansas
  • Kathleen Littleleaf, Billings Urban Indian Health & Wellness Center
• Session Moderators: Robin Turner (ILS Section Member) & Lillian Alvernaz
• Session Overview: This panel will discuss the impacts of over-policing and incarceration of Native American people and how Tribal justice systems can work to holistically support individuals involved in the criminal justice system. The presenters will also explore the disproportionate victimology of the Native American population and how abiding by non-Indian systems of justice fails Native American people.

4:45 – 5:00:  Closing