Capitol News

The Michigan State University College of Law’s Indian Law Clinic has received funding to continue assisting tribes with law enforcement. The MSU clinic is the only law school clinic in the country that regularly represents tribes in both state and federal courts on Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases.

Recently, the clinic successfully represented four intervening tribes at the United States Supreme Court while continuing to represent tribes in state appellate courts. To support this work, the NoVo Foundation has provided $400,000 in funding for the next two years. This funding will enable the clinic to hire additional lawyers and administrative support, increasing its capacity and providing more MSU law students with opportunities to work on ICWA cases and take on more tribal clients.

Although Congress passed the ICWA in 1978 to prevent the removal of American Indian and Alaska Native children from their families, Native children today are disproportionately represented in the system at a rate 2.5 times higher than their population in the country. Helping keep Native children with their families and tribes is one reason why the clinic’s work is so important.

Kathryn E. Fort is the director of clinics at the MSU College of Law and runs the Indian Law Clinic, where she teaches the clinic class and other classes in federal Indian law. “This funding will allow the clinic to work with more tribes in litigation as well as address additional policy needs, including advising on state ICWA laws, expanding the network of ICWA attorneys for tribes, and creating bench and bar educational materials,” said Kathryn E. Fort.

The clinic focuses on supporting sustainable sovereignty for Native families and tribes and advocating for respect and decency for them. The staff’s deep knowledge of tribes and their systems allows it to provide unparalleled support for tribes in both state and federal systems.

The reach and work of the clinic are national, representing tribes across the country and providing MSU law students with experience and connections nationwide. Until this funding, the clinic operated with one clinical professor and one fellow.

Other work includes advocacy such as participating in state ICWA legislation drafting and passage across the country, working with the federal government on new funding models to achieve equity for tribal systems, and training social workers and jurists on ICWA-related state laws.

“I am thrilled with this significant support from the NoVo Foundation. For them to recognize the importance of our work at the Indian Law Clinic is gratifying. We look forward to expanding our efforts to meet the needs of tribes and Native families,” Fort said.

For more information about the clinic or assistance, visit its website or contact it at clinic@law.msu.edu or 517-432-6880.