The University of Montana School of Law

Indian Law Clinic
Law School Clinic Suite

Professor Sarah Bates, Acting Director
406.243.2544
sarah.bates@umontana.edu

Academic Year only

Satisfies American Indian Law Certificate Requirement

Photo by Dean Hellinger (2009)

Prerequisites:

• Professional Responsibility (effective for all classes entering Fall 2011 and thereafter)
• Federal Indian Law or Tribal Courts/Tribal Law.

Areas of Law: The intersection of federal Indian and tribal law with all substantive areas of law

Lawyering Skills: Problem solving; Research and writing; Civil litigation; Limited criminal work; Client interaction; Factual investigation; Alternative dispute resolution techniques; Cross-cultural lawyering; Effective time management; and Identifying/resolving ethical issues

Sample Projects: Represent clients in Indian Child Welfare Act cases; Research treaty rights and tribal jurisdictional issues; Represent clients in tribal court actions, primarily civil matters with some limited criminal representation; Draft tribal codes; Provide training on Indian law issues; Draft tribal member wills; Create educational materials for the Office of Public Instruction

The Indian Law Clinic at The University of Montana School of Law was established in 1980.  The Clinic’s goal is to provide students with practical experience regarding Indian law issues.  Indian Law Clinic projects commonly focus on issues and problems affecting tribal governments, justice systems and Indian people.  Students frequently appear in Tribal and State courts addressing Indian issues or representing Indian people and occasionally have the opportunity to appear in federal court.  Students will work on a variety of projects promoting tribal sovereignty, cultural preservation, access to justice and economic development within Indian Country.