Orientation to the Tribal Court System

This session provides essential knowledge on the foundation of tribal courts. A brief review of tribal sovereignty and key federal laws can help court clerks answer questions such as “why can tribes operate their own court system” and “why are some tribal courts currently hearing only civil cases?” This session is designed specifically for court clerks and aims to assist with giving a big picture on how tribal court systems operate today.

Objectives

• Give an overview of tribal sovereignty
• Review key federal limitations on tribal courts
• Explain a general overview of jurisdiction