Northwest Center for Indigenous Law

10/09/2026

Please join us on Friday, Oct. 16, for a workshop on the foundational principles of tribal sovereignty and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), hosted and presented by the Northwest Center for Indigenous Law and Washington Conservation Action Tribal Nations Program. In-person spots are filled, but there is still room for virtual participation. Register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/5228569

06/09/2026

05/23/2026

Join us on Friday, June 5, for the Ninth Annual Innovation and Technology Law Conference, "Indigenous Perspectives on AI: Appropriation, Regulation, and Innovation." Presented by the Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Institute and the Summer Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Ethics (SITIE) Initiative, and co-sponsored by the Northwest Center for Indigenous Law (NCIL), the Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law (SJTEIL), and the American Indian Law Journal, this year’s conference brings together leading scholars, practitioners, and Indigenous leaders. Register to receive a Zoom link the day before the event: https://law.seattleu.edu/academics/degree-programs/jd/curriculum/tile/sitie/annual-innovation-and-technology-law-conference/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=SITIE+2026

05/13/2026

The Northwest Center for Indigenous Law is excited to be part of the 9th Annual Innovation and Technology Law Conference hosted by Seattle University School of Law on June 5.

This year’s conference, Indigenous Perspectives on AI: Appropriation, Regulation, and Innovation, will explore critical issues surrounding AI governance, Indigenous data sovereignty, ethics, and emerging technology.

The conference is free and virtual — check out the agenda and register here: https://law.seattleu.edu/academics/degree-programs/jd/curriculum/tile/sitie/annual-innovation-and-technology-law-conference/

04/23/2026

Interested in law school? Join us for an informative webinar session to learn more about the law school application process and assistance with the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)!

04/16/2026

We’d appreciate your support as we expand our program and support future lawyers working in Indian Country. 🙏🏽

Through midnight tonight, you can make a difference in the lives of law students and everyone they aid through SU Gives, a once-a-year, 24-hour day of giving. This year, through the generosity of Catherine Walker ’80, each gift to the Northwest Center for Indigenous Law (NCIL) will be matched 2 to 1 toward the Seattle University Native American Law Student Association up to $10,000. NCIL creates many educational and experiential learning opportunities for students, including a newly launched Indigenous Law Certificate and Tribal Practice Clinic, moot court competitions, Tribal law symposia, and opportunities to serve the community pro bono. This is reflected in students like Emily Hernandez '26, one of the first five students receiving the Indigenous Law Certificate this spring. Recently honored as an American Constitution Society Next Generation Leader, Emily is a senior editor for the Seattle U Law American Indian Law Journal and has competed in National Native American Law Students Association moot court events.

Learn more and donate here: https://seattleugives.seattleu.edu/pages/school-of-law-6

02/21/2026

At the invitation of Sen. Claudia Kauffman (D-Kent), Northwest Center for Indigenous Law (NCIL) Director Brooke Pinkham (right) and NCIL Faculty Director/Professor Nazune Menka (left) recently presented on federal Indian law to Washington State Democratic senators at the State Legislature in Olympia. In their presentation, Pinkham and Menka explained that looking at Tribal Nations as "stakeholders" is incorrect, as they are actually sovereign governments with inherent rights predating the U.S.

"Treating Tribes as stakeholders improperly diminishes their political status and undermines the government-to-government relationship that the United States is legally and morally obligated to uphold," Pinkham said.

11/18/2025

Native American Youth in WA more likely to be arrested:

Before and after trial and even for low-level, nonviolent crimes, Native American youths are locked up at higher rates

01/10/2025

We look forward to working alongside Skagit Valley Legal Aid, Swinomish Tribe, and Makah Nation.

Seattle U Law and Legal Aid have teamed up to increase legal aid to local Native American communities, thanks to a grant from the Legal Foundation of Washington. The $600,000 grant will bolster existing legal services within the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Skagit County (pictured), while also starting a monthly legal clinic on the Makah Reservation on the Olympic Peninsula. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/bd49tvp8