American Indian Law Center, Inc

Established in 1967, the American Indian Law Center, Inc. (AILC) is housed at the University of New Mexico and is the oldest existing Indian-managed and Indian-controlled legal and public policy organization in the country. The AILC assists in the continued development of tribal self-determination and systems that support tribal sovereignty. As a 100 percent Indian-controlled organization, AILC has a unique, in-depth knowledge of tribal institutions, including tribal courts and their place in tribal government, and of tribal, state, and federal relations. AILC administers the Southwest Intertribal Court of Appeals and conducts the Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI), which is an intensive two-month program, with a 90 percent success rate, that prepares Native American and Alaska Native students for the rigors of law school by replicating the first semester. For more than five decades, AILC has remained dedicated to training pre-law students in the skills required for the study of law. PLSI’s services reach beyond the pre-law summer to support Native law students in summer and semester clerkships, judicial clerkships, professional development opportunities, and the bar examination. Its alumni include many prominent leaders including the first Native cabinet secretary, the first two Native congresswomen, law school deans, professors, practicing lawyers, and judges. The award for general options supports AILC’s distinguished history of facilitating access to legal education for Native students and providing resources to Native communities’ positions. It is one in a cluster of grants to support Native-led organizations that are focused on strengthening the pipeline of Native Americans who are interested in pursuing careers in community and public safety as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge.

The American Indian Law Center (AILC), founded in 1977 and based in Albuquerque, NM, is the oldest existing American Indian-managed and -operated legal and public policy organization in the country, serving to strengthen, promote, and honor self-sustaining American Indian and Alaska Native communities through education, training, and leadership.  AILC’s mission is to provide training and technical assistance to tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal courts; legal and policy analysis on various issues important to tribal governments; and most notably, preparatory legal education to Native Americans. This grant provides AILC with flexible support for general operations.