Course Description
The University of Arizona College of Law Indigenous Peoples Law Clinic under the auspices of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program provides domestic and international legal assistance to the indigenous peoples of the world. To that end, the Law Clinic has established a court appointed guardian-ad-litem program for the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation which involves the representation of abused and neglected children before their tribal courts in dependancy proceedings. Students clerk for Tribal Court judges (including the Navajo Nation Supreme Court), provide research and comparative litigation analysis for international indigenous human rights actions (Maori, Australian aboriginals, Canadian Bands, South American and Mexican Indigenous Culture). Students also work on projects for Tribal Legislative Councils and for Tribal Attorneys. We have provided support for the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, created rules of civil procedure for the Hopi tribal Court, and educated the Hopi tribe on Village constitutional formation and its consequences. The clinic also, and significantly, participates in the presentation of various conferences dramatizing the critical issues facing indigenous cultures today. Prosecution and criminal defense placements may also be available. Students learn the distinctiveness and diversity of other cultures, to appreciate nuances of language and historical practices. It is challenging and rewarding work intended to uphold the integrity of tribal cultural dynamics. It is a vast education in life.
Updated: 04/05/2011