The University of Idaho College of Law Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) has been named a recipient of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Education Donation program. However, this year’s donations have seen a decline, in comparison to 2013.
Five percent of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s net gaming revenues from casinos are donated in support of the region’s education. The funds are directed to the Education Donation program, which began in 1992 and in two decades has invested $18 million to the region’s education programs.
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe donated $2,500 to UI’s NALSA chapter this year — down from last year’s $5,000 donation to the Native Law Program and $5,000 to NALSA.
The UI Native Law Program received $5,000 from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in 2012.
This year’s donation assisted in UI’s travel and registration costs for the National NALSA Moot Court Competition hosted by University of Oklahoma College of Law Feb. 28-March 1. The donation will also allow UI NALSA students to attend National NALSA elections at the 39th annual Federal Bar Association Indian Law Conference in New Mexico April 10-11.
The UI NALSA Moot Court Team, as well as more than 60 teams from 17 states, competed in the national NALSA moot court competition — a law school extracurricular in which students participate in a simulated court proceeding and make an oral argument against an opposing team.
The topic for the 2014 NALSA moot court competition was American Indian gaming and whether the employment statute allowing collective bargaining could apply to a hypothetical tribe’s casino. Rhylee Marchand, NALSA co-chair and competitor in the event, said she and her partner prepared for the competition months in advance.
“We went through a pretty rigorous practice schedule,” Marchand said. “We practiced two to three days a week for a month and a half.”
Marchand, a second-year law student, said the competition was a good opportunity to learn more about public speaking techniques.
Ashlee Ray, a third-year law student and NALSA co-chair, said the $2,500 donation will pay for airfare, a hotel and registration costs at the FBA Indian Law Conference.
The Indian Child Welfare Act will be presented in a breakout session at this conference, in reference to a recent case concerning an adopted child named Veronica.
Ray said the case pertained to a father who was a member of the Cherokee Nation and his estranged girlfriend — who wanted their daughter to be adopted to a non-Native American couple.
“According to ICWA, if there’s an Indian child that’s getting adopted out, the first preference is to the family and Indian couples within the tribe,” Ray said.
According to Ray, last year this subject focused on mascots, specifically the Washington Redskins.
Another topic to be presented is reservation infrastructure as an economic driver.
Angelique Eaglewoman, associate professor of law at UI, said NALSA raises the profile of UI and gives undergraduates opportunities to learn about the pathway to law.
Eaglewoman said UI’s NALSA chapter puts on a drive for incoming law students and donates LSAT prep material to the Native American Student Center. There is a dedicated shelf of LSAT material free for undergraduate students to utilize in this student center.
“Our students here not only get to connect with tribal communities locally, but also get to network with tribes across the country and other Native Americans that are planning on going into the field of law, as well as those interested in law school,” Eaglewoman said.
Jake Smith can be reached at [email protected]