The Native American Legal Assistance Project (NALA) is a letter writing, research, and direct services-based SLP that works to address tribal rights and pressing legal issues on the federal and state levels faced by Native American tribal nations and people.
NALA members will support the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) by drafting comment letters on relevant U.S. Department of Interior regulations, writing letters to U.S. Congress on pressing legislative issues, performing legal research on timely U.S. Supreme Court cases impacting tribes, and completing other legal research concerning tribal sovereignty and rights.
NALA members will also support California Indian Legal Services (CILS) with legal research and client services. Potential Fall 2026 project topics include Healing to Wellness courts, military discharge upgrades, criminal record relief and employment rights, voting rights, and allotment rights. Members can expect a range of opportunities, including direct client-services, updating legal memorandum to inform pending impact litigation, and policy advocacy research.
Supervision: Students in NALA provide legal services under the supervision of attorneys at California Indian Legal Services and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
Time Commitment: Members can expect a minimum of two all-member lunch meetings across the semester. There will also be condensed Indian-law lectures available to facilitate student learning. Project time commitments vary by project, ranging from 5-20 hr across the semester, with room for flexibility based on student and supervisor needs. There will also be optional office hours throughout the semester.
For more information, please contact the student leaders at nalaproject@berkeley.edu.