For many years, a pro bono program tailored to serving the legal needs of Native Americans and Alaskans did not exist. Most legal clinics in Seattle focused on a diverse range of important civil issues including family, debt, contracts, employment and real estate — but not as they relate to tribes and tribal members.
In late March, however, this will change; a new Urban Indian Law Clinic (UILC) will open at the Chief Seattle Club. The UILC will provide pro bono legal services focused on assisting Native Americans in and around the Seattle area. According to Lael Echo-Hawk, a reservation attorney for the Tulalip Tribes and one of the main clinic organizers, the UILC is the first-ever legal clinic in Seattle created specifically to address the needs of the urban Indian population.
The Chief Seattle Club provides an ideal location for providing pro bono advocacy for Natives. “By bringing the clinic to a ‘safe’ place, the clinic is hoping to eliminate another barrier to accessing legal services for this community,” Echo-Hawk said.
In preparation for opening its doors, clinic organizers will hold a free, all-day CLE on basic Indian law entitled: Representing Native Americans in Washington State: An Indian and Tribal Law Primer. “This CLE is important because it’s a first step in providing much needed legal services to a population of people that are completely and totally overlooked and underserved,” said Echo-Hawk.
The CLE will be held at the WSBA offices on February 28 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The CLE will include information on how to access tribal courts, give practical strategies for working in a clinic setting and explore cultural competency. Presenters also will educate attendees about Indian law fundamentals in key areas such as jurisdiction, criminal law and family law as they relate to tribes and tribal members. Not only will the CLE serve as a training session for lawyers interested in volunteering at the new clinic, but it is also a great introduction for attorneys who would like to work with Native Americans in general.
The clinic and CLE are sponsored by the Northwest Indian Bar Association, the WSBA Indian Law Section, the King County Bar Association, the Northwest Justice Project, Garvey Schubert Barer, Morisset Schlosser Jozwiak & McGaw, and Foster Pepper PLLC.
“The UILC has been a goal of the Northwest Indian Bar Association for a long time,” said Echo-Hawk. “There is a huge need for legal services for Indian people, but for a number of reasons, legal services have been slow in reaching this population.”
The opening of the clinic will change this dynamic for Native American patrons, who will now be able to benefit from pro bono legal services. “Not only does the clinic benefit the Native community,” said Echo-Hawk, “but it also provides Indian law practitioners a way to give back to the community they are representing.”
n
