The Native Nations Law JD Specialization comprises courses focusing on tribal legal systems, federal Indian law, and international advocacy for Indigenous rights. A renowned resource in support of Native Nations, UCLA Law’s Native Nations Law & Policy Center advances Indian nations’ laws and institutions in furtherance of tribal sovereignty and rights of self-determination.

For courses or independent research with non-NNLPC Core or Affiliated Faculty, you may petition for pre-approval by submitting a description of the course or independent research to a member of the Specialization Committee. You should note that it may not always be possible to pre-approve independent research, in which case a decision will be made once the student submits a completed project.

Students may petition the Specialization Committee to have other relevant courses or independent studies counted toward the specialization. The Center faculty may also approve, on a case-by-case basis, specialization credit for appropriate courses taken either abroad as part of Foreign Legal Studies, or as a transfer or visiting student. The list of courses (including seminars and clinics) that satisfy the specialization will be reviewed annually and revised as appropriate by the Specialization Committee, in coordination with the Records Office. Students are encouraged to look into the specifics of the syllabi of each course and to meet with the faculty advisors to ensure they select courses that best achieve their personal educational goals.

Students may petition the Specialization Committee for permission to take Federal Indian Law I and Federal Indian Law II concurrently, or for permission for the Tribal Legal Development Clinic to serve as a pre-requisite to Federal Indian Law II, requests which may be granted, but only in exceptional circumstances.

Students pursuing the J.D. Specialization in Native Nations Law do not receive priority enrollment for any course except the Tribal Legal Development Clinic. However, ultimate enrollment decisions remain at the discretion of the Clinic director. Students are encouraged to enroll for other courses as early as possible in the enrollment period for maximum flexibility.

Please note that not all courses will be offered every year.

Students pursuing the Specialization in Native Nations Law may pursue full- or part-time externships relating to Indian law for credit towards the specialization’s Group B coursework requirement. A student wishing to use an externship as a qualifying course must receive the prior consent of the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee. Consent will require a demonstration that the externship will provide exposure to relevant substantive areas of law. Regardless of the number of externships or externship units a student completes, a student may use externships to count, at most, as one course.

To be awarded the specialization in Native Nations Law, students must maintain a B- (2.7) grade average in courses taken for the specialization.

Detailed course descriptions are linked in the listings below. Prospective students should bear in mind that, due to curriculum scheduling and faculty availability, not every class listed is taught each year. This is most often true in the case of seminar courses. A sufficient number of courses will be available to enable those students who choose to specialize to satisfy the specialization requirements.

The list of courses (including seminars and clinics) that satisfy the Indian Law Elective and the Elective in Law will be reviewed annually and revised as appropriate by the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee, in coordination with the Records Office. Students are encouraged to look into the specifics of the syllabi of each course and to meet with the faculty advisors to ensure they select courses that best achieve their personal educational goals.

Students may petition the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee to have other relevant courses or independent studies counted toward the specialization.

A special symposium celebrated Professor Gómez's retirement and honored her groundbreaking career and tremendous impact on Critical Race Studies, UCLA School of Law, and legal and academic communities at large. 

View video of the symposium here. 

3 p.m. — Welcome 

Remarks from

• Michael Waterstone, Dean of UCLA School of Law
• Cheryl I. Harris, Vice Dean for Community, Equality and Justice; Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Professor in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 
• Uriel Saldivar Esteban, J.D. Candidate '25 & Community Service Chair, UCLA Latinx Law Students Association

3:30 p.m. — Manifest Destinies: The Making of the Mexican American Race

Panelists will discuss Professor Gómez's groundbreaking 2007 text, which has been established as an essential resource for understanding the complex history of Mexican Americans and racial classification in the United States. 

• Moderator: Jerry Kang, Distinguished Professor of Law; Founding Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (2015-20), UCLA School of Law 
• Genevieve Carpio, Associate Professor, César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o Studies, UCLA 
• Nicholas Espíritu (Law '04), Deputy Director, Legal, National Immigration Law Center
• Casandra Salgado (Ph.D. Sociology '19), Assistant Professor, Sociology, Arizona State University 

4:30 p.m. — Break

4:45 p.m. — Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism

Panelists will discuss Professor Gómez's most recent book exploring the impact of Latinos’ new collective racial identity on the way Americans understand race. 

• Moderator: Aslı Ü. Bâli, Professor of Law, Yale Law School  
• Walter Allen, Distinguished Professor of Education, Sociology, and African American Studies; Allan Murray Cartter Chair in Higher Education, UCLA School of Education & Information Studies 
• Sherene H. Razack, Chair and Distinguished Professor, Gender Studies; Penny Kanner Endowed Chair in Women's Studies, UCLA  
• Saúl Sarabia (Law '96), Founder and Director, Solidarity Consulting 

5:45 p.m. — Keynote by Laura E. Gómez, Rachel F. Moran Endowed Chair in Law 

Introduction by Devon W. Carbado, The Honorable Harry Pregerson Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law (Read by Executive Director of the Critical Race Studies Program Jasleen Kohli, with additional remarks.)

6:30 p.m. — Reception and Dinner in Shapiro Courtyard

Remarks from

• LaToya Baldwin Clark, Professor of Law; Faculty Director, Critical Race Studies Program, UCLA School of Law 
• Jasleen Kohli, Executive Director, Critical Race Studies Program, UCLA School of Law  

CO-SPONSORS

• UCLA School of Law
• Chicanx-Latinx Law Review
• Latinx Law Students Association