MSU’s Indian Law Clinic receives funding to continue its mission of supporting indigenous families and tribes

Thursday, August 8, 2024

From Michigan State University News

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State University College of Law Indian Law Clinic has received funding to continue its work assisting tribes in enforcing the law. The MSU clinic is the only legal clinic in the country that regularly represents tribes in state and federal courts in Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases. Most recently, the clinic successfully represented four intervening tribes before the United States Supreme Court and continues to represent tribes in state appellate courts. To continue this work, the NoVo Foundation has provided $400,000 in funding for the next two years. The funds will allow the clinic to hire additional attorneys and administrative support to increase its capacity and give more MSU law students the opportunity to work on ICWA cases and take on more tribal clients. Although ICWA was passed by Congress in 1978 to prevent the separation of American Indian and Alaska Native children from their families, Native children are now disproportionately represented in the system at 2.5 times their national population. The clinic’s work is so important because it can help ensure Native children can remain with their families and tribes. “This funding will allow the clinic to work with more tribes on litigation and address additional policy needs, including advising on state ICWA laws, expanding the network of ICWA attorneys for tribes, and creating educational materials for judges and lawyers,” said Kathryn E. Fort, the clinic’s director. The clinic’s focus is on supporting sustainable sovereignty for Native families and tribes and advocating for respect and decency toward them. The staff’s extensive knowledge of tribes and their systems means they can provide unparalleled support to tribes in state and federal systems. The clinic’s reach and work is nationwide, representing tribes across the country and providing MSU law students with experience and contacts across the country. Until this funding, the clinic was operated by a clinical professor and a fellow. Its other responsibilities include advocacy, such as participating in the drafting and passage of state ICWA laws across the country, working with the federal government on new and innovative funding models to achieve equitable funding for tribal systems, and training social workers and legal professionals on ICWA and related state laws. “I am very pleased to receive this significant support from the NoVo Foundation. It is gratifying that they recognize the importance of the work of the Indian Law Clinic. We look forward to expanding our work and meeting the needs of tribes and Native families,” Fort said. Anyone interested in learning more about the clinic or needing assistance can visit the clinic’s website or contact the clinic at [email protected] or 517-432-6880.

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