UCLA NATIVE NATIONS LAW & POLICY CENTER

LOS ANGELES, CA

The UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center is a renowned center at the law school designed to advance Indian nations’ laws and institutions, promote cultural resource protections, and prepare the next generation of legal service providers for Indian country. Through clinical programs led by eminent faculty, the Native Nations Law & Policy Center address critical public policy issues facing Native tribes while offering students invaluable opportunities for legal training. Our Tribal Legal Development Clinic serves Native American communities directly, providing legal expertise and support to those most in need, while students engage with tribal leaders, officers and attorneys to contribute services to Indian tribes. A joint JD/MA degree in American Indian Studies offers an integrated study program to produce law graduates with a rich understanding of tribal cultures. The Center interweaves resources and educational opportunities to sustain and enrich Indian nations’ laws and focus on key public policy issues and challenges.

The Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) provides a support network for Native American law students and creates a base from which work can be done for the advancement of Native peoples. NALSA strives to foster better communication among Native American law students, the Native American community and the general public by providing a forum for the discussion of current Native American issues.

Angela R. Riley

  • Professor of Law
  • Director, MA/JD Joint Degree Program In Law and American Indian Studies
  • Director, Native Nations Law & Policy Center
  • riley@law.ucla.edu

Lauren van Schilfgaarde

  • Assistant Professor of Law
  • vanschilfgaarde@law.ucla.edu

  • Tribal Legal Development Clinic
  • JD/MA in Law & American Indian Studies
  • Courses and Student Support

Provide direct services to Indian tribes and Native organizations. Center the development, advancement and innovation of tribal law.

Projects have included:

  • Statutes and Other Governing Documents
  • Policy Papers
  • Courses and Student Support
  • Cultural Resource and Ancestral Remains Protection and Repatriation