CILS Board of Trustees—Who Are They?
By Dorothy Alther, Executive Director Federal law and regulation dictate who is eligible to be a CILS Board of Trustees member. The Legal Service Corporation (LSC), CILS’s largest funding provider, is bound by these regulations and ensures that legal service programs it funds follow the rules. The LSC regulations do not restrict the number of […]
What Constitutes a Tribal Constitution?
By Mark Vezzola, CILS Directing Attorney Escondido Office Before 1934, most Indian tribes did not have written laws and certainly not constitutions. There are exceptions, however. The Cherokee Nation adopted its first constitution in 1827, establishing a three-branch system of government not unlike that of the United States. That does not mean tribes were without […]
Honoring Our Sisters: Rethinking Tribal Court Jurisdiction
By Mark Vezzola, CILS Escondido office Directing Attorney This event originally aired on July, 15, 2021. About the Program Please join us for a presentation on the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women movement underway throughout the United States and Canada. Topics to be addressed include the bias that causes so many victims of violent crime […]
An Overview of Indian Water Rights in California – Part 1 California State Law
By Mike Godbe, CILS Bishop office Staff Attorney California faces record-low snowpack, with 94.7% of the state currently in Severe Drought and 85.4% in Extreme Drought.[1] It is critical for California Indian allotment owners and tribes to take stock of their water rights. California Indian allottees and tribes must navigate an especially complex landscape when […]
Frequently Asked Questions
By Kia Murdoch, CILS Sacramento office Staff Attorney I’m Native American, can CILS help me with my legal issue? CILS offers advice and representation in cases that involve issues unique to Native Americans, under either federal Indian law or related state law. “Indian law” refers to the field of law based on the political status […]
