A new American Indian Law Program will begin this fall at MSU, teaching students about indigenous law, policy and practice.
When the two classes start they will be the beginning of the only formal American Indian law program in Michigan and the most comprehensive in the Midwest.
"It's an entire area of law that people just aren't aware of," said Donald Laverdure, a professor and director of the program. "There's a cultural layer on top of that - what Indian people do and what their traditions are still like today."
Twelve federally recognized American Indian tribes with their own governments and legal systems exist in Michigan, Laverdure said.
About 62,000 American Indians live in the state and less than four percent of lawyers in the United States are American Indian.
The program will eventually have four classes and a clinic in which students assist tribal governments with building the infrastructure of their administrations. Laverdure will teach three out of the four classes.
"We hope to continue to expand on a recruiting level," Laverdure said, adding they will be looking at Indian conferences in Alaska and Arizona.
"MSU has a strong Indian studies program and is perfectly situated with the legislative here," he said, adding that, combined with the MSU College of Law and Michigan's 12 tribes, "it's the perfect situation."
Terence Blackburn, dean of MSU College of Law, said more than 20 to 30 students signed up for each class already.
"It's an extraordinary opportunity for our students to see how laws and legal systems are built," Blackburn said. "In some (American Indian tribes) the laws are still in a stage of development, while others simply want to enhance their existing governments."
Enrollment of American Indian law students has also increased in the law school.
On average, one to two American Indian students are enrolled per year, but this year, 10 have been admitted, Blackburn said.
For incoming law students interested in American Indians, MSU has a lot of other opportunities to offer, said Patrick Russell LeBeau, former director of the university's American Indian Studies Program.
"In our program, we have 20 professors that teach in the area of American Indian studies," he said. "We're one of three Big Ten universities that teach the Ojibwa language."
LeBeau also pointed to lecture series, the undergraduate student organization and various cultural events that have been brought to campus. There were 287 undergraduate and graduate students on MSU's campus in 2003, representing 0.6 percent of the population.
LeBeau said he was happy to hear of the law program coming to MSU.
"It's definitely bringing a lot more visibility to MSU in terms of American Indian studies," he said. "It is a good thing."
