The Indigenous Law Student Association will host the 36th annual Coming Together of Peoples Conference from March 3–5 exploring the theme “Past, Present, and Future: The 20 Years of the Tribal Supreme Court Project.”
The free, virtual conference is open to the public and will feature a keynote address by Aurene Martin (’89, J.D. ’93) plus panel discussions on topics relevant to the practice of Indian law. The conference is approved for 11 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits in Wisconsin; Minnesota CLE credits are pending.
Keynote Speaker
Aurene Martin is the founder, president and managing partner at Spirit Rock Consulting, where she represents Indian tribes on Federal law and policy issues. She is enrolled in the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and specializes in the areas of Tribal land acquisition and the fee to trust process, Tribal gaming and general Tribal government issues. Before entering private practice, Martin had a long career in public service as a high-level political appointee at the U.S. Department of the Interior and senior counsel to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. She began her career as senior staff attorney of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, where she was responsible for Indian Child Welfare Act litigation, state legislative affairs and gaming matters. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UW–Madison in 1989 and her law degree from the UW–Madison Law School in 1993.
Agenda
Thursday, March 3, 11:50 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CST
- Keynote address by Aurene Martin
- Ethics panel
Friday, March 4, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CST
“The Controversial Past of Federal Indian Law and The U.S Supreme Court and its Cloudy Future”
- The Supreme Court’s Last 35 Years of Federal Indian Law
- Past, Present and Future: The 20 Years of the Tribal Supreme Court Project
- The Past and Future of ICWA
Saturday, March 5, 9:00 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. CST
“Tribal Legal Issues in the Upper Midwest”
- Faust v. Vilsack
- OSHA Oversight on Tribally Owned Businesses
- The Amended Oneida Gaming Compact and the Future of Wisconsin Gaming
Indigenous Law Student Association
The Indigenous Law Student Association (ILSA) provides an organization and forum for Law School students, while contributing to the advancement of Indigenous peoples. ILSA fosters communication between all law students, the UW law faculty and staff, and the community at large. Additionally, ILSA provides support to its members by maintaining study groups, assisting with job searches, and hosting social activities.