Tribal Law Basics for Legal Writing Tonya Kowalski Professor of Law Washburn University School of Law
What are American Indian Tribes & Tribal Law?
Why Introduce Tribal Nations & Courts? Teaching: enhance legal skills instruction with comparative legal studies and multicultural awareness Service: further law schools’ social justice mission
Applications Federalism Sources of Primary Law Selecting Authority Professional Respect for Legal Institutions Preparation for Increased Tribal Court Practice Social Justice Enculturation Enhanced Transfer of Learning Professional Multicultural Awareness
A Three-Sovereign Federal System Federal Government State Governments Native American Nations
Sovereign Nations
Limited Sovereigns
Organizational Variety Tribal Council ExecutiveLegislativeOther Courts Constitution LegislativeExecutiveJudicial
Respect for Legal Institutions: Tribal Courts Org. variety ADR Highly professional Limited resources Creating rich common law Custom and tradition
Practice Trend: Tribal Economic Development Ho-Chunk, Inc. (Winnebago Tribe of NE)Ho-Chunk, Inc. Chickasaw Nation Enterprises
Law Schools & Social Justice
Comparative Law & Learning Theory
Skills: Multicultural Awareness Letters Client counseling Facts Analysis
Selecting Authority Module 1.The tri-federal system 2.Sources of law 3.What law binds the court? 4.What law governs the issue? 5.Selecting authority
Sovereignty & Selecting Authority Federal Government State Governments Native American Nations
Comparative Sources of Law
Sovereignty & Selecting Authority What Law Binds the Court? HighestAppellateTrial What Law Governs the Issue? Constitution Judicial Case law Court Rules Legislative Statutes Leg History Executive Regulations Exec Orders
State SupremeAppellateTrial Municipal, Agencies, Drug, etc. Tribal SupremeAppellateTrial Peacemaking; Healing-to- Wellness, etc. Federal Supreme Circuit Court of Appeals District Court Immigration, Bankruptcy, Agencies, etc. Issue of State Law? Issue of Federal Law? Issue of Tribal Law?