Apart from their assigned mod courses, 1L students may only enroll in courses offered as 1L electives. A complete list of these courses can be found on the 1L Elective Listings page. 1L students must use the 1L class number listed on the course description when enrolling.
286.5 sec. 001 - Federal Indian Law (Spring 2026)
Instructor: Seth Davis (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only)
Instructor: Merri Lopez-Keifer
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 3
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
TuTh 2:10 PM - 3:25 PM
Location: Law 132
From January 13, 2026
To April 23, 2026
Course End: April 23, 2026
Class Number: 33620
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 75
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 81
As of: 03/09 11:15 PM
Federal Indian Law is federal law, derived from Indian treaties, statutes and regulations, federal Indian common law, the Constitution, and the practices of the political branches. In other words, it is “Federal Law About Indians.” Federal authority is a legacy of settler colonialism. It poses many challenges and some opportunities for Native Nation building. The course will proceed in three parts. The first part will introduce the course, the history of federal Indian law, and the fundamental principles of the field. The second part, which is most of the course, is about today’s issues in federal Indian law, organized by the four fundamental principles of the field. Our course will be not only theoretical and doctrinal, but also practical: We will discuss real world challenges that Native Nations face today. These include, but are not limited to, Tribal economic development (including taxation and regulation of businesses), exertion of territorial jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indian criminals in Indian Country, water use and water rights, and the protection of Native cultural resources. The third part will conclude by focusing upon Native Nations in California.
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Requirements Satisfaction:
Units from this class count towards the J.D. Race and Law Requirement. |
Exam Notes: (F) In-class Final Exam
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Exam Length: 4 hours
Course Category: Public Law and Policy
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Race and Law
Social Justice and Public Interest
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Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Required Books are in blue
- Cases & Materials on Federal Indian Law
Getches
Edition: 7th 2017
Publisher: West Academic
ISBN: 9781634599061
e-Book Available: unknown
Price: $248.00
Note: prices are sampled from internet bookstores. Law-school Bookstore prices are unavailable at this time.