The Indigenous Law Students Association (ILSA) exists to provide an organization and forum for University of Wisconsin law 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 monthly social activities.
Mission
ILSA’s 27th Annual Coming Together of Peoples Conference will be held at the UW Law School April 5-6, 2013. We hope to see you there!
Please see our 2013 Conference page for further details.
ILSA will be hosting its 26th Annual Coming Together of Peoples Conference in Union South March 23-24, 2012. Union South was completely rebuilt and reopened in April of 2011. Please join us in this beautiful new facility to discuss equally contemporary topics in Indian law.
Panelists will be discussing domestic violence, non-traditional uses of intellectual property law, community service, juvenile justice, membership debates and ways recognition has been used to influence them, and the applicability of international law to indigenous rights. Please see our 2012 Conference page for further details.
NNALSA’s 2012 Moot Court Competition will be held at the William S. Richardson Law School at the University of Hawaii. Over fifty teams will be competing, including UW’s Matthew Austin and Zelena Jones. Both are in their final year at UW Law. The team is coached by Meredith Davis.
This year’s problem focuses on the complexities of the recognition process and traditional trust relationship. Oral arguments will take place February 24-25, 2012.
The moot court team would like to thank UW for its support as well as the alumni who have donated their time as guest judges in recent practices.
The Coming Together of Peoples Conference has been approved as a source for 9 total CLE credits for Wisconsin attorneys. Each of the six 2-4 speaker panels is worth 1.5 credits. More information is available on our 2011 Conference page.
Search for the 25th Annual Coming Together of Peoples Conference and other CLE courses here.
The Indigenous Law Students Association would like to recognize their members Dan Lewerenz & Will Dalsen for their recent excellent showing at the the 18th Annual National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition. Dan and Will won the overall competition, and took individual awards, with Dan and Will taking 1st and 2nd place (respectively) in the Best Oralist category.
The final round panel was composed of South Dakota Attorney General Marty J. Jackley, Hon. Robert A. Miller of the South Dakota Supreme Court (Chief Justice, retired), Hon. Jeffrey L. Viken and Hon. Karen E. Schreier (Chief Judge) of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, and Hon. Roger L. Wollman of the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The ILSA teams participating in the competition included:
Rea Cisneros (Anishinaabe-Lac Courte Oreilles) & John Kellis (Ojibwe-Sault Ste. Marie)
Dan Lewerenz (Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska) & William Dalsen
Jeremy Marshall (Cherokee Nation) & Richard Greenlee
James Schlender Jr. (Anishinaabe-Lac Courte Oreilles) and Anthony Vera (Pascua Yaqui)
Our extraordinary coaches: Chandra Harvey and Cate Kellett
ILSA also thanks the following individuals who judged practice arguments, helping prepare our teams for the competition, with a special thanks to Judge Amanda Rockman (UW Law ‘05) for opening up her court:
UW Law Students and Moot Court members Diane Schlipper, Charles Harvey, Andrea Van Hoff, Ben Carter, Darcy Copeland, and Mike Yellin; Alumna Carol Brown (UW Law ’93) and Alumnus Michael Oeser (UW Law ’98); Professor Richard Monette; Attorneys Kris Goodwell, Michelle Greendeer and Nicole Homer (Ho-Chunk Justice Department), and Joshua O. Rees (Staff Attorney, Ho-Chunk Trial Court); and Hon. Amanda Rockman (Ho-Chunk Trial Court).
