Thursday, November 3, 2016

Alaska Native Law Symposium co-sponsored by Justice Center draws lawyers, Native village and corporation representatives, and state and federal agency staff

Keynote speaker, Raina Thiele, former Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and
Public Engagement for the White House, addresses the symposium.
 "Adapting for the Next Generation:  The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) at 45 and the 32d Annual Alaska Native Law Conference" drew over 75 attendees on October 14 including lawyers, Native village and corporation representatives, state and federal agency staff, and UAA faculty and students. The free day-long symposium was co-sponsored by the UAA Justice Center, the Alaska Law Review (ALR), and the Alaska Native Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association, and was held at the UAA/APU Consortium Library.

Raina Thiele, former Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement for the White House, was the keynote speaker.

Symposium topics included: "ANCSA and the Future of Tribal Jurisdiction in Alaska," "Challenges and Opportunities for Alaska Native Corporations," "Federal Legislative Update," "State Legislative Update," "Case Law Update," and "Protection of the Attorney-Client Privilege in the Joint Representation of Parent Companies and Their Subsidiaries" (legal ethics session).

Read/download the materials from the symposium  on the Justice Center website.  The video of the symposium will be uploaded to the Justice Center YouTube channel in early November. The Alaska Law Review will be publishing an issue at a later date with the articles prepared for this symposium.

Prof. Ryan Forston, J.D., Ph.D., Justice Center faculty, was the UAA coordinator; Christian Vazquez, Articles Editor, Alaska Law Review, was the ALR coordinator; and Bruce Anders, co-chair of the Alaska Bar Alaska Native Law Section, was the Section coordinator; for the symposium.

Read KYUK Bethel's story which is partially based on interviews conducted at the symposium:
 "The State, Native Corporations Stake Their Positions As The Push For Indian Country Begins" by Johanna Eurich, KYUK Bethel Public Media for Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. 17 Oct 2016.

More photos from the conference:

Prof. Ryan Forston, J.D., Justice Center (at podium), opens the symposium.
William Robinson (at podium), Executive Articles Editor with the Alaska Law Review, co-sponsor of the symposium, discusses the goals of the event and the publication of the articles prepared for the symposium.
Bruce Anders (at podium), co-chair of the Alaska Bar Alaska Native Law Section,
co-sponsor of the symposium, welcomes the attendees.


Panelists (far right - l to r) Liz Medicine Crow, First Alaskans Institute; Elizabeth Hensley and John "Sky" Starkey,
Landye Bennett Blumstein, LLP; Natalie Landreth, Native American Rights Fund; and Prof. Ryan Fortson,
Justice Center; discuss tribal jurisdiction in Alaska.
Panelists (l to r) Bruce Anders, CIRI; Maude Blair, Alaska Federation of Natives; Aaron Schutt, Doyon Ltd.;
William Robinson and Christian Vazquez, Alaska Law Review; and Kim Reitmeier, ANCSA Regional Association;
speak about challenges and opportunities for Alaska Native corporations.
Christine Williams, Outlook Law LLC (at podium), presents during the Federal Legislative Update.


Miranda Strong (l), Alaska Department of Law, a panelist for
the Federal Legislative Update, speaks after the program
with Johanna Eurich of KYUK Bethel. 


Panelists (l to r) for the State Legislative Update session: Jana Turvey, Leisnoi, Inc.; Matt Singer, Holland & Knight; and Kevin Anselm, Alaska Division of Banking & Securities.

Brennan Cain, The Eyak Corporation  (seated center), and Matt Mead, Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP (at podium),
present the Case Law Update.

Matt Newman, Native American Rights Fund, presents during the Case Law Update.
L to r: Moderator Peter Boskofsky, Afognak Native Corporation, and Peter Jarvis, Holland & Knight, during the
legal ethics session of the symposium.
Prof. Ryan Forston, UAA Justice Center (left), and the Alaska Law Review student editors who assisted with the symposium
pause for a photo following the event - (l to r)  Austin Freeman, William Robinson, Christian Vazquez, Evan Glustrom, Michael Paparozzi, Andrew McMillan, Savannah Best, Jeremy Muhlfelder, and Michael Rosengart.