Faculty at the School of Law

A significant amount of land owned by the U.S. government is held for the benefit of the general public and must be managed in light of that purpose. Managers of federal public lands must balance a number of competing uses, including 1) preserving environmental, historical, and cultural resources; 2) protecting the environment and public health; and 3) accommodating religious practices.

This course examines the domestic and international laws that govern this delicate balance. Examples of such laws include the Endangered Species Act, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Students will also learn negotiation strategies, as the course will use role play and negotiations as a vehicle for learning and applying the substantive law.

Summer Course taught by Daniel Belcourt, Esq.  Mr. Belcourt is owner of Belcourt Law, P.C., a law firm that specializes in Indian law.  Prior to opening his own law firm in 2006, Mr. Belcourt was a partner with the law firm of Smith, Doherty & Belcourt and in-house counsel to his tribe, the Chippewa Cree tribe of the Rocky Boy reservation from 1994-2002.  Mr. Belcourt has a broad array of experience in all aspects of tribal government representation.  He has represented tribal governments in matters before the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, federal agencies, and in litigation before federal, state and tribal forums. While obtaining his masters of law in environmental and natural resource law, he also served as Attorney General to the Colorado River Indian Tribe in 1998.