Policy Practicum: Hopi Tribe Appellate Court Assistance Project

Students will assist the client, the Hopi Tribal Appellate Court, in two separate tracks. Track 1: Law Clerks (6 credits) (max 6 students): Students will serve as off-site law clerks to the Justices of the Hopi Tribal Appellate Court in Arizona. They will assist in preparing for oral arguments and drafting written decisions and any other assistance that the Justices require. Students will receive R-Paper Credit for their work. Students in the law clerk track must commit to both the winter and spring quarters, and to attending the class trip to Hopi, tentatively scheduled for the end of spring break. Track 2: Policy Research (3 credits, R-credit) (max 6 students) : Students will assist the Appellate Court in one of two projects: 1) revising the primary Hopi legal treatise summarizing Hopi caselaw, and 2) researching alternative approaches to juvenile justice, with a focus on drug treatment, diversion, and rehabilitation. Students, including non-law students, with a background in sociology, social psychology, criminology, and other related disciplines are especially encouraged to apply for this second project. Students will present their research and findings to Justices at the end of the quarter. Commitment to the policy research track is for the winter quarter only, with the option to extend to future quarters. Both Tracks: Students in both tracks will travel to the Hopi Reservation and the Grand Canyon. This trip is tentatively scheduled for March 26-30 (the end of SLS spring break), though precise scheduling depends on the Hopi court calendar. SLS will cover flights, accommodation, and reasonable travel expenses. Attendance on this trip is required for students in the law clerk track and strongly encouraged for students in the policy track; applications from students able to commit to the trip will receive preference in admissions. Coursework or background in federal Indian law is helpful but not required. Students who sufficiently complete their work for our client will receive a mandatory pass. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments. Students in both the policy and clerkship tracks may opt to extend for an additional quarter. APPLICATION: To access Policy Lab Consent Applications go to link SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/.