Hopi Tribe Appellate Court Assistance Project (809S)
Students will assist the client, the Hopi Tribal Appellate Court, in two separate tracks.
Track 1 (Section 1):
Law Clerks (3 credits, EL credit) (max 6 students)
Students will serve as off-site law clerks to the Justices of the Hopi Tribal Appellate Court in Arizona. Law clerks will be assigned to a Justice with whom they will meet regularly to discuss their assignments. They will assist in preparing for oral arguments and drafting written decisions and any other assistance that the Justices require. Students will receive R-Paper Credit for their work.
Track 2 (Section 02 R-credit & Section 03):
Policy Research (2-3 credits, R credit option for 3 units) (max 6-8 students)
Students will assist the Appellate Court in researching and developing internal policy documents. These matters may include assistance in creating rules of procedure and facilitating mediation and restorative justice methodologies. Students will present their research and findings to Justices at the end of the quarter. Students in this track may opt-in to the 3-credit R-paper track, which will require taking on an additional assignment.
Both Tracks:
Students in both tracks will travel to the Hopi Reservation and the Grand Canyon on April 18-21. SLS will cover flights, accommodation, and reasonable travel expenses. Attendance on this trip is required for students in the law clerk track and strongly encouraged for students in the policy track; applications from students able to commit to the trip will receive preference in admissions. Coursework or background in federal Indian law is helpful but not required. Students who sufficiently complete their work for our client will receive a mandatory pass. After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section 01 into section 02 (3 units, R-credit) or Section 03 (2 units), with consent of the instructor.
Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments.
This policy lab will be offered in future terms. We encourage students to participate in subsequent quarters if they can do so.
CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.
