There are more than 570 recognized Native American tribes in the United States. Each governs itself as a sovereign nation. Today, tribal court systems are handling an ever-growing list of criminal and civil justice issues.
MSU’s College of Law stands ready to help. It offers legal training for those interested in working for, and on behalf of, Native American tribes.
In January, its Indigenous Law and Policy Center garnered national praise from the Society of American Law Teachers, which bestowed upon it the M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award.
The honor is awarded to a person or institution whose investment in the pursuit of human rights reform deserves great acknowledgment.
The university’s center provides legal services to tribes, educates students and others about American Indian law, and recruits and supports Native students to the law school. In addition, it supports the Indian Child Welfare Appellate Project—the sole such clinic of
its kind—affording MSU students distinctive learning opportunities.
Additionally, the center launched TurtleTalk, a leading blog on Native American issues, providing access to legal and regulatory opinions in tribal cases and tribal matters without fees or other barriers.
Learn more: http://law.msu.edu/indigenous/