Current News, Events, Updates And Articles
We keep our blog up-to-date with the latest information about our services, special programs, projects, and resources. This includes funding opportunities, legal briefs, and Tribal Alerts that are important for our community. You will also find self-help materials on our blog that provide insights into federal Indian law, its components, and its practical applications.
TRIBAL ALERT: Tribal Eligibility for Opioid Settlement Funds
CILS is partnering with Kevin Washburn, former Assistant Secretary of the BIA and now Dean of the University of Iowa College of Law, to ensure that all tribes are aware of the opioid settlement reached in several different cases throughout the country and their...
Funding Opportunity – Support for 988 Tribal Response Cooperative Agreements
By Hannah Reed, CILS Escondido Office Staff Attorney The deadline to apply for Support for 988 Tribal Response Cooperative Agreements has been extended to November 8, 2022. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide resources to improve response to...
November 2022 California Native Voter Guide
Check out CILS' updated November 2022 California Native Voter Guide!
CILS Seeking RFP for Case Management Software
https://www.calindian.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Case-Management-System-RFP-CILS-5.11.22.pdf
Bishop Office Highlights
By Mike Godbe, CILS Bishop Office Directing Attorney The Bishop office of California Indian Legal Services (CILS) has been busy. For over 35 years, CILS’ Bishop office has been the home of the Eastern Sierra Legal Assistance Program (ESLAP) and the Inyo Mono Senior...
New CILS Project: Assisting Native Vets in Upgrading Military Discharge Status
By Jay Petersen, CILS Sacramento Office Senior Staff Attorney CILS Sacramento is launching a new project, The Military Discharge Upgrade Project (MDUP), to help Native veterans with less than honorable military discharge histories improve their discharge...
TRIBAL ALERT – Supreme Court to Determine the Constitutionality of the ICWA
This morning the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in Brackeen v. Haaland, the federal court case challenging the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The case comes to Court from a decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that...
An Overview of Indian Water Rights in California Part 3: Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM)
By Mike Godbe, CILS Bishop Office Directing Attorney This is the third in a three-part series providing an overview of Indian Water Rights in California. This installment focuses on California’s Integrated Regional Water Management grant-funding system. Part 1 on...
2021: Changes in DOI Leadership, a Win for Tribal Sovereignty, and More
By Mark Vezzola, CILS Escondido Office Directing Attorney As 2021 draws to a close, it is time to look back at the last twelve months. If you work in federal Indian law or care about Indian country, there are a number of developments to reflect on. Some changed the...
CILS Receives Holiday Donation from the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
December 9, 2021: By Nicole Scott, Director of Marketing and Development CILS' Escondido Office Directing Attorney Mark Vezzola and Director of Marketing and Development Nicole Scott attended Sycuan's annual Holiday Gift Giving Ceremony at Sycuan's Heritage Events...