Dear Indian Law Section Members:
We are pleased to announce wonderful additions to the 38th Annual Federal Bar Association Indian Law Conference in both content and form. As you know, the Conference is set to take place April 11-12, 2013 at the Buffalo Thunder Resort at Pojoaque Pueblo. Our Conference Co-Chairs – Patrice Kunesh, Andrew Adams, Angelique EagleWoman and Venus Prince – have put together an outstanding program and it is getting even better.
First, they are pleased to tell you that they are expanding the Conference agenda on Friday April 12 to include a special extended session addressing the recent historic reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, with particular attention to of its tribal jurisdiction provisions. Plenary Sessions 7 and 8 have swapped times, and the new expanded Plenary 7 will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on April 12. “Surging Forward in Law Enforcement: Report from the Indian Law and Order Commission and Joint Listening Session with NCAI on VAWA Implementation” will be jointly moderated by Patrice and Venus and will include top thinkers on these important issues:
· John Dossett, General Counsel, National Congress of American Indians
· Troy Eid, ILOC Chairman and Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
· Affie Ellis, ILOC Commissioner and President, Ellis Public Affairs
· Jill Engel, Chief Prosecutor, Hopi Tribe
· Tom Gede, ILOC Commissioner and Counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP
· Carole Golderg, ILOC Commissioner and Professor of Law and Vice Chancellor, UCLA
· Hon. Terri Henry, Councilwoman, Eastern Band of Cherokee, and Chair, NCAI Task Force on Violence Against Native Women
· Sam Hirsch, Deputy Associate Attorney General, United States Department of Justice
· Hon. Jefferson Keel, ILOC Commissioner and Lt. Governor, Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma and President, National Congress of American Indians
· Hon. Theresa Pouley, ILOC Commissioner and Chief Judge, Tulalip Tribal Court
The Indian Law and Order Commission was created by the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 to advise the President and Congress on strengthening criminal justice in Indian Country and Alaska Native communities. The Commission consists of nine members appointed by the President and Congress. The VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2013 extended the Commission’s term for one year, permitting the Commission to assess Tribes’ plans to assert their inherent criminal jurisdiction over all persons, Indian and non-Indian, in domestic violence cases, and to recommend potential additional clarifications of criminal and civil jurisdiction to enhance public safety in and near Native communities. The Commission’s final report will be released to the public later this year. Following the Plenary 7 discussion on VAWA, the Commission will conduct a public listening session to enable Conference participants to comment on Tribes’ plans with respect to the effective implementation of VAWA. The Commission invites conference participants and the public to attend and present in this official session of the Commission. Those interested in speaking should sign in at the session and may also contact the Commission’s Executive Director, Jeff J. Davis at Jeff.Davis6@usdoj.gov.
You can find an updated Conference brochure online at: http://www.fedbar.org/Image-Library/Events/2013-Indian-Law/Brochure.pdf and you can register online at: http://www.fedbar.org/Education/Calendar-CLE-events/38th-Annual-Indian-Law-Conference.aspx#reg.
Second, we are also excited to announce that, for the first time, we will be offering webcasting of the Indian Law Conference at the following rates:
FBA Member: $300/day or $400/for both days
Nonmember: $350/day or $500/for both days
While we know there is no substitute for the valued interpersonal interactions that Conference attendance brings our community, we hope that webcasting allows Section members burdened by federal sequestration and tight travel budgets to still participate this year, albeit from afar. We also hope that webcasting will allow more Tribal leaders and attorneys to participate when their schedules and budgets do not allow them to join us in Santa Fe. We are working with our vendor to get the webcasting registration site set-up now. We anticipate that you will be able to register for webcasting in less than a week.
We hope you Section members are pleased with these developments and that you all will join us for a great Conference, either in person or via the webcast!
Jennifer H. Weddle, Chair, Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section
Turtle Talk 