Indian Law Section

The Indian Law Section provides a forum for practitioners representing clients affected by Indian law.

Federal, tribal and state laws, executive and administrative actions, and court decisions produce a complex and rapidly evolving array of law that affects legal services. The Section schedules CLE programs on subjects that provide information to practitioners representing clients affected by Indian law. Section members also receive a newsletter highlighting recent developments in Indian law.

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Upcoming Events

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 Indian Legal Scholars Program

Over the past few years, the WSBA Indian Law Section and the Indian Legal Scholars Program, a joint venture between the Section and its sister-group the Northwest Indian Bar Association (http://www.nwiba.org/), has raised and donated nearly $70,000 in scholarships to aspiring Indian lawyers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. 

In August 2004, the American Bar Association bestowed the Program with the prestigious "Solo and Small Firm Project Award."  While previously the Program had given scholarships to only Native law students, in 2006 the Indian Legal Scholars Program provided stipends to graduating Native law students who took the Washington State bar exam in July 2006.  The Program hopes to some day soon also provide Native pre-law students with financial help.

The Program's goal of nourishing future Indian lawyers is of particular importance when considered against statewide and national research findings.  Indians are by far the most under-represented ethnic demographic in the legal profession.  Indian attorneys comprise a fraction of 1% of the Washington State's 29,000 licensed attorneys.  Nationally, of the 1 million practicing lawyers in the U.S. and the 4.1 million people who identify themselves as Native American, there are only 1,700 – yes, seventeen hundred – Native practitioners (2000 Census).

Applications for scholarships and/or bar stipends will be available again in 2007.  Please direct questions regarding the application process to Gabe Galanda, at (206)628-2780 or ggalanda@wkg.com.

Section Members:  To join the section e-mail list and receive information about Section activities and other Section-related matters, please send your e-mail address and Bar number to questions@wsba.org.

For more information, please contact the Section Chair: