Here.
NNALSA: 2021 State of Indian Law at ABA-Accredited Law Schools Survey
Here.
Sheldon Spotted Elk Starts at NCJFCJ
We’ve known Sheldon for years and have worked with him during his time at Casey Family Programs. We’ll be very happy to work with him getting judges in line, I mean EDUCATED, on ICWA!
Press release here.
New Student Scholarship on Tribal Labor Relations and Federal Law
The Harvard Law Review has posted a Note, “Tribal Power, Worker Power: Organizing Unions in the Context of Native Sovereignty.” PDF
High Country News: “A crude virus: How ‘man camps’ can cause a COVID surge”
Here.
Pit River Tribe Suit against BLM Leases Survives (Mostly) Motions to Dismiss
Here are the materials in Pit River Tribe v. BLM (E.D. Cal.):
Federal Court Orders IHS to Turn Over Docs on Stanley Patrick Weber to New York Times and Wall Street Journal
Here are the materials in New York Times v. Dept. of Health and Human Services (S.D. N.Y.):
20 US Motion for Summary Judgment
23 Newspapers Motion for Summary Judgment
An excerpt:
This Freedom of Information Act suit was brought by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and a reporter seeking to force the Indian Health Service (“IHS”) to release a report that it commissioned from a private consultant to investigate numerous acts of rape and sexual abuse committed by Stanley Patrick Weber, a former IHS pediatrician, against Native American children. IHS has taken the position that the report is protected from disclosure by a statute that affords confidentiality to reports on the “quality of medical care” — a position we reject. We also find that the report is not protected under the litigation privilege exemption of the Freedom of Information Act and thus order that it be produced.
Federal Court Dismisses Tort Claim Against Alabama-Coushatta Tribe
Here are the materials in Jones v. Alabama-Coushatta Tribe (E.D. Tex.):
30 Supplemental Motion to Dismiss
An excerpt:
Jones’s objections to the Reports do not raise any new arguments to support his claim that his premises liability claim is not barred by sovereign immunity. He instead continues to argue that this court should follow Wilkes v. PCI Gaming Authority, 287 So.3d 330, and hold that the Tribe’s sovereign immunity is waived in the interests of justice. But as discussed in the first Report, the only court to cite Wilkes has declined to follow it. See Oertwich v. Traditional Vill. of Togiak, 413 F. Supp. 3d 963, 968 (D. Alaska 2019). The court agrees with the magistrate judge that “Wilkes, an Alabama Supreme Court decision that has never been cited by any circuit court, is not enough for this court to override both Fifth Circuit case law dismissing damages claims based on tribal sovereign immunity or the case law from other circuits upholding sovereign immunity for claims sounding in tort.” (Doc. #25, at 6). Thus, this claim must be dismissed.
Spokane County Bar Association 12th Annual Indian Law Conference
PLSI Judicial Clerkship Handbook
The PLSI Judicial Clerkship Committee created this Judicial Clerkship Handbook to encourage and assist Native American law students in applying for and obtaining judicial clerkships across all levels of courts and tribunals. Because judicial clerks play a central role in researching and drafting court decisions, Native American judicial clerks can help foster judicial understanding about tribes as sovereign governments and develop case law that respects tribal sovereignty and rights. Many judicial clerks go on to become members of the judiciary. We hope to encourage more Natives to pursue judicial clerkships and judicial positions on the state, tribal, and federal benches.
Turtle Talk 
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