Tribal Law Updates, May 8, 2012

http://tlpi.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/narf-joins-with-other-national-organizations-to-call-for-end-to-judicial-vacancy-crisis/

Yesterday the  Native American Rights Fund (NARF) joined with 28 other national organizations to call for an immediate end to the persistent and destructive obstruction of judicial nominees in the United States Senate.  The joint statement released by NARF and others reads as follows:

Regardless of where you live or what issues you care about, all Americans deserve a judiciary that works for them.  Today’s White House briefing with community leaders, legal experts and advocates for an effective judiciary is an unequivocal statement about that priority.

Recent cases demonstrate that no matter the issue – health care, immigration, marriage equality, workers’ rights, employment discrimination, environmental regulation, privacy, and ethics – the courts will continue to play an increasingly important role in the lives of hardworking Americans. But the courts can’t function without judges.  Unprecedented obstruction by a minority in the Senate has left the nation with 96 current and future vacancies on the federal courts, leading to a substantial backlog of cases that undermines our system of justice and makes it impossible for most Americans to have their case heard in a timely manner.

It’s troubling to realize that, more than four months into 2012, the Senate has voted only on nominees who were pending on the Senate floor last year and eligible for a confirmation vote in 2011.  Today, in fact, marks the first time this year that the Senate is scheduled to vote on nominees who were not pending in 2011.

This vacancy crisis, which has left 250 million Americans living in communities with unstaffed federal courtrooms, must end, and the confirmation process must not be allowed to be slowed even further by election-year politics.  We believe that every nominee submitted by the President this year deserves a yes-or-no vote confirmation vote.  Together, we will continue to fight for a fair judiciary and stand with the American people to ensure they have timely access qualified judges to hear their disputes and have their day in court.

Signed,

• Alliance for Justice
• American Association for Justice
• American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
• American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
• Asian American Justice Center, member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
• Center for American Progress
• Communication Workers of America (CWA)
• Compassion & Choices
• Constitutional Accountability Center
• Defenders of Wildlife
• Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• Human Rights Campaign
• The Justice at Stake Campaign
• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• League of United Latin American Citizens
• NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc.
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
• National Bar Association
• National Congress of American Indians
• National Council of Jewish Women
• National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
• National Partnership for Women & Families
• National Women’s Law Center
• Native American Rights Fund
• People For the American Way
• Union for Reformed Judaism

 Fundamental Knowledge & Skills for Tribal Court Judges – April 24-26, 2012

This training will cover the basic skills required for conducting trials.  Topics include: courtroom management; basic evidentiary rulings; ethics and demeanor; due process; equal protection; sentencing; and other substantive law.  Breakout sessions and demonstrations will be conducted to provide opportunities for judges to practice and receive feedback.  New judges who complete this course will be able to conduct criminal trials from start to finish; will understand the responsibilities and protections under the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA); and will gain an understanding of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA).   Experienced judges will enhance their courtroom skills.

Registration Deadline:   April 18, 2012

Attached is the registration form. There is no cost to register.

Please fax your completed form to: (505) 277-1035 or email it to: begay@law.unm.edu

Training Site: BIA’s National Indian Program Center (NIPC),

1011 Indian School Rd. NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Registration Form

Symposium:
The First Thirteen / Personal Reflections of the Argument
Friday,  March 16, 2012 – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
University of New Mexico School of Law
Albuquerque, NM

The First Thirteen Native attorneys who argued before the U.S. Supreme Court will be coming together to discuss their experiences in this history-making symposium.  Dale White will interview them about their preparations, the day itself, and the impact on their careers and on Federal Indian Law. This is a rare opportunity that may never be repeated, so you don’t want to miss it! Proceeds will go to fund the Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives (PLSI).

Registration form available online at www.ailc-inc.org.
or Contact:  Valerie S. Begay at (505) 277-5462    Email:  begay@law.unm.edu

Sponsored by American Indian Law Center, Inc., New Mexico Indian Bar Association, Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, and the Law & Indigenous Peoples Program at the University of New Mexico School of Law.

Good morning!  I am Heidi Macdonald from the American Indian Law Center.  I am working with our beloved Heidi Nesbitt on a Four-Year Reunion Dinner for the PLSI Classes of 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002.  Can you believe how quickly the time has passed since you first began your legal education with PLSI?  We are very excited to offer such a momentous occasion.  We hope you can join us for your PLSI class reunion dinner!  The PLSI Four-Year Reunion Dinner will be the night before the Federal Bar Association’s 37^th Annual Indian Law Conference on April 18, 2012 at 7 p.m. at Gabriel’s Restaurant.  This PLSI class reunion dinner will give you the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones! 

The American Indian Law Center is also pleased to announce the creation of the “PLSI Alumni Scholarship Fund.”  During the PLSI Reunion Dinner this year, the alumni of each of the four classes will have the opportunity to contribute to the PLSI Alumni Scholarship Fund.  Any contributions for the PLSI Alumni Scholarship Fund will ensure future generations of Native students are able to experience PLSI as we did.  As alumni, we know the importance PLSI has played in our lives and the foundation it has created for our legal careers.  During PLSI, we have accomplished our dreams, met some of our best friends, and learned where passion and perseverance can take us.  If you are a member of one of the PLSI classes (1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002) and have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. My email address is HeidiLMacdonald@gmail.com or (505) 277-5462. Thank you for your continued support!”