MSU’s Indian Law Clinic receives funding to continue its mission of supporting Native families, tribes

MSU Today with Russ White

The Michigan State University College of Law’s Indian Law Clinic has received funding to continue its work of assisting tribes with enforcement of the law. The MSU clinic is the only law school clinic in the country that regularly represents tribes in both state and federal courts on Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, cases.

The NoVo Foundation has provided $400,000 in funding for the next two years to support the clinic’s work. The funding will allow the clinic to hire additional lawyers and administrative support to increase its capacity and provide more MSU law students with the opportunity to work on ICWA cases and take on more tribal clients.

Kathryn E. Fort is director of clinics at the college and directs the Indian Law Clinic. She talks about the clinic’s history and mission and talks about the types of cases with which the clinic assists.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:25) – What’s your background, and how long have you been at MSU?

(2:01) – Did you always know you wanted to practice law? Why are you passionate about experiential learning?

(3:47) – What’s the history and mission of the Indian Law Clinic? What do you do, and for whom do you do it?

(6:04) – What kind of cases do you work on, and what are the key issues facing Native Americans?

(10:08) – Talk about this new funding and what it will allow you to do. Babies in the river?

(13:28) – Talk about all the clinics at the MSU College of Law.

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