Monday, April 13, 2009

What is the best university for tribal law?

I want to become a tribal lawyer, mainly for my own tribe for right now, and i dont know what law school to go to.


First, I applaud you for wanting to serve your own tribe. There is no more noble calling than serving one's own people.

Second, if you are not yet a college student, you would do well to find a college with a strong Native American Studies program, or a tribal college. Law as a profession is not studied at the undergraduate level, but students may take courses on Native issues in many disciplines, including History, Anthropology, Religion, American Studies, and English literature. If you do not speak your ancestral language, gaining these skills would be very valuable as well.

I direct you to the superb site at the first link below, which is written by members of NNALSA, the National Native American Law Students Association.

As they note, there are many law schools with courses in tribal law, some better than others.

The second link contains more links to info about tribal law resources.

Personally, I would recommend looking into these law schools. I have not ranked them, and I am sure there are more. For example, the chief of the Oneida Nation in New York went to Harvard Law School, and he is very well versed in tribal law! You can find more information about these schools by scrolling down the page at the third link below.

Syracuse University School of Law (Center for Indigenous Law)

University of Kansas School of Law (Tribal Law and Govt. Center)

University of Wisconsin Law School (Great Lakes Indian Law Center)

University of Washington School of Law (Native American Law Center)

UCLA School of Law (Native Nations Law and Policy Center)

University of New Mexico School of Law

University of Arizona School of Law

University of Montana - Missoula School of Law

University of Colorado School of Law

University of Oklahoma College of Law

Michigan State University College of Law

Vermont Law School

University of Tulsa Law School

There are many more. I strongly suggest you email a NNALSA member and ask. There is a "contact us" function on the NNALSA website, at http://www.nationalnalsa.org/

I wish you every success!

I would say look up top universities for tribal law. Be sure to contact the university to make sure they have what you are looking for. Ask about the criteria and the curriculum, if it sounds like something you are interested in then setup an appointment to visit the campus and meet with the advisor. Always keep you options open. I'm in college for anthropology, and I always look for interesting social or psychological aspects I can add to my degree. Also, keeping subjects in the realm of you degree helps a lot, too. Hope this helps.

Check out University of Arizona's programs

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