Mission Statement

It is the goal of the University of North Dakota's Northern Plains Indian Law Center to promote and support American Indians and tribes in their endeavors to advance legal opportunities for Indian people living in or associated with the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota, and to foster greater cross-cultural exchange in the interest of mutual understanding and development.

Objectives

Implement the blueprint developed for the Center incorporating the Northern Plains Tribal Judicial Training Institute, Native American Law Project, and the Tribal Environmental Law Project, with the School of Law to provide coordinated legal services and programs for American Indians.

Increase the number of American Indians in the legal profession by actively recruiting American Indians interested in law school and supporting those students who become enrolled in law school.

Develop a clearinghouse containing American Indian treaties, laws, resolutions, and legal documents about American Indians; consolidate that information to form a tribal, state, and federal resource data base at UND School of Law that can be used by tribal governments, state and federal agencies, and the public at large.

Coordinate and develop forums between and among tribal, state, and federal agencies to examine and explore legal issues common to these groups of people.

Establish a productive relationship between tribal governments and UND's School of Law.