2024 Kansas Law Review Symposium

Strategic Litigation Advancing Indigenous Rights

 
Presented by the Kansas Law Review and the Tribal Law & Government Center at KU Law 

 

Friday, November 22, 2024
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Check-in and breakfast from 8:30-9 a.m.) 
104 Green Hall

Indigenous communities in the United States face a variety of systemic obstacles that derive from a history of colonization, forced displacement and assimilation efforts that have marginalized them for generations. Currently, these communities deal with issues connected to their resources, environmental sustainability, economic well-being and the preservation of their cultural heritage. In response to these ongoing challenges, indigenous communities have resorted to legal action in order to protect their rights and sovereignty. Impact litigation allows these communities a chance to advance their rights through the courts by establishing important legal precedents. 

The 2024 Kansas Law Review Symposium will explore ways that indigenous communities have recently used strategic and impact litigation as a way to advance their rights. On November 22, 2024, the Kansas Law Review and the Tribal Law & Government Center at KU Law will host a joint symposium and tribal law conference at Green Hall, featuring scholars from across the country to discuss contemporary developments in strategic litigation aimed to support indigenous rights. 

The symposium will examine strategic and impact litigation aimed at advancing indigenous rights and addressing systemic issues affecting tribal communities. Through this symposium, we seek to engage scholars writing in diverse areas of law including class actions, tribal lawyering, environmental protection, property rights, criminal law, etc.

Scholarship associated with the symposium will be published in a spring 2025 edition of the Kansas Law Review.

The symposium is sponsored by the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy.

Speakers

  • Bethany Berger | Iowa Law School | Professor of Law
  • Sarah Deer | University of Kansas | Distinguished Professor
  • Layatalati Hill | Oneida Judiciary | Chief Trial Court Judge
  • Laura Hines | University of Kansas School of Law | Centennial Teaching Professor; Director, Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy
  • Stacy Leeds | Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University | Dean and Professor of Law
  • Zach Pahmahmie | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | Vice Chair Person 
  • Rob Odawi Porter | Cornell Law School | Visiting Professor
  • Alex Red Corn | University of Kansas | Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Sovereign Partnerships and Indigenous Initiatives; Director and Associate Professor, Indigenous Studies Program 
  • Raymond Red Corn III | 𐓨𐓘𐓺𐓟𐓮𐓤𐓘𐓪𐓰𐓘𐓲𐓣 (Place to Borrow Money), A Community Development Financial Institution of the Osage Nation | Former Assistant Principal Chief of the Osage Nation
  • Darren Root | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | Tribal Attorney
  • Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | Chair Person 
  • Whitney Sawney | Native American Agriculture Fund | Director of Communications and Policy 
  • Elizabeth Kronk Warner | S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah | Dean and Professor of Law 

Schedule

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast and social

9:00 - 9:15
Opening Remarks

Stephen W. Mazza | University of Kansas School of Law | Dean and Professor of Law

Shawn K. Watts | University of Kansas School of Law | Director, Tribal Judicial Support Clinic

9:15 - 10:00
Panel: Developments, Innovations and Opportunities for Indian Country on the Southern Plains

Alex Red Corn | University of Kansas | Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Sovereign Partnerships and Indigenous Initiatives; Director and Associate Professor, Indigenous Studies Program 

Raymond Red Corn III | 𐓨𐓘𐓺𐓟𐓮𐓤𐓘𐓪𐓰𐓘𐓲𐓣 (Place to Borrow Money), A Community Development Financial Institution of the Osage Nation | Former Assistant Principal Chief of the Osage Nation

Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | Chair Person 

10:00 - 10:45
Improving upon the Status Quo: Tribal Co-Management and Shared Services

Elizabeth Kronk Warner | S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah | Dean and Professor of Law

10:45 - 11:00
Break

11:00 - 11:45
Strategic Litigation in Pursuit of Indigenous Justice

Laura J. Hines | University of Kansas School of Law | Director, Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy

Stacy Leeds | Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University | Willard H. Pedrick Dean; Regents Professor and Foundation Professor of Law

11:45 - 12:15
Cy Pres in Action: How the Native American Agriculture Fund Works Toward Addressing and Reducing the Harms of Claimants

Whitney Sawney | Native American Agriculture Fund | Director of Communications and Policy 

12:15 - 1:15
Lunch

1:15 - 2:00
Tribal Sexual Assault Jurisprudence
Sarah Deer | University of Kansas | University Distinguished Professor

2:00 - 2:45
Rosalind’s Refund: A Young Woman’s Challenge to $16.29 in Taxes Leads to McClanahan v. Arizona

Bethany Berger | Iowa Law School | Allan D. Vestal Professor of Law

2:45 - 3:00
Break

3:00 - 3:45
The Evolution of Tribal Lawyering

Roert Odawi Porter | Cornell Law School | Visiting Professor of Law

3:45 - 4:15
Panel: Recent Developments in Tribal Law

Layatalati Hill | Oneida Judiciary | Chief Trial Court Judge

Zach Pahmahmie | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | Vice Chair Person 

Darren Root | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | Tribal Attorney

4:15
Closing Remarks

Livestream Available

We will be offering this symposium virtually for anyone who is not local to Kansas or is otherwise unable to attend. We ask that you still register using the registration link above and select "I will be attending virtually." The link to join will be emailed to you at a later date.

Cost

The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Lunch will be provided.

Registration

Register in advance online. A virtual option is available to those who cannot attend in person.

Program Accessibility 

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact Rebecca Clayton by November 8 at rclayton@ku.edu or 785-864-2388, 771 TTY.

Symposium Issue

Scholarship associated with the symposium will be published in a spring 2025 issue of the Kansas Law Review.

Questions? 

Contact Symposium Editor Emma Leonard at emmaleonard@ku.edu.

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