This summer, Dylan Rain Tree (rising 3L) is clerking with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) at the Boulder, Colorado headquarters. NARF is the oldest and largest non-profit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide. Mr. Rain Tree’s assignments are part of on-going legal cases that NARF accepts on behalf of Native American tribal clients whose legal issues are of national importance. Mr. Rain Tree’s work has focused on sacred site protection, tribal court jurisdiction, tribal recognition, and traditional criminal justice systems. His duties include researching and writing memorandums on legal questions of presidential authority, lawsuit immunities, traditional tribal legal procedures, and the new federal recognition regulations for acknowledgement. Overall, Mr. Rain Tree’s clerkship is an exciting opportunity into the legal practice of federal Indian law.

Chris Channell (3L), Meredith Duarte (2L) and Sarah Crawford (2L) are spending their summer at Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Office of the Prosecutor lead by ILP grad Jeff Harmon (’05). The students are shown with their certificates to practice in tribal court where they spend most of their time. Thank you to Jeff and the SRPMIC community for giving them this great opportunity!

DesiRae Deschine (rising 2L) is one of ten selected for the prestigious Udall Foundation Native American Congressional Internship and is interning at the Department of the Interior, Solicitor’s Office, Division of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. DesiRae has been working closely with the attorney-advisors in the Branch of Trust Services on the Land Buy Back Program for Tribal Nations. Her major project is researching matters related to the federal trust responsibility for Indian trust land and the implications for Indian probate. As a Udall Intern she is meeting with Congressional members, such as Senator Tom Udall, and with American Indian advocacy and public interest organizations, such as the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians. She is enjoying the D.C. experience by visiting the Smithsonians, walking the National Mall, attending Congressional hearings, networking, and making new friends.