Mission

• Provide an academic and educational atmosphere and opportunity for law students to study Federal, State, and Native Nation laws affecting Native Nation and their citizens
• Provide legal assistance on uniquely Native Nation legal matters
• Encourage and assist Indian students in obtaining a legal education 

Learn more about the Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center »

  

GLILC Components

Native Nation Externships

The externship program is designed to give law students a unique opportunity to gain real world experience by working and sometimes living in a Native Nation territory or reservation.

Intertribal Food System Development

Building upon a Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) award to implement Tribal Food Codes with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin in 2019, the Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center has provided essential legal and policy support at the federal, state, and Tribal levels to advance innovative intertribal food system development.  

The Tribal Elder Food Box Program, initiated with three Tribes in 2021, has expanded to all eleven Wisconsin federally recognized Tribes, demonstrating how intertribal cooperation can support economic development while addressing critical community health and nutrition needs. Under a UW-Madison Baldwin Grant, the GLILC has supported Tribal partners in creating a Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition to coordinate these efforts that are highlighted by:

• • • An $8.5 million USDA Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program award
    • Policy advocacy to USDA direclty leading to a $100 million Tribal set-aside under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program that helping to support the Tribal Elder Food Box amonsty dozens of other efforts across the nation
    • Co-leading the Tribal component of the $20 million Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center with Michigan State University's Center for Regional Food Systems

Rural Partnership Institute

GLILC staff is co-leading a project under UW-Madison's new Rural Partnerships Institute with UW-Madison Extension to advance the land-grant mission of the university, support community-based projects, and create new partnerships to better meet the needs of rural communities. 

  

Events 

Native November Law Symposium 2025: Native Voice and the Environment 

The Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center proudly presents the inaugural Native November Law Symposium, an annual symposium highlighting critical issues impacting Native communities. Each year will focus on a specific theme — and for 2025, we explore Native Voices & the Environment.

Throughout the month of November, join us for a dynamic series of discussions that address the many ways the environment is deeply intertwined with Native life, rights, and sovereignty. This year’s events will feature a range of topics including the legacy of Indian boarding schools, climate justice and youth activism, pipeline resistance, global Indigenous environmental movements, and public health law. 

Events* 

• Nov. 6th, Indian Boarding Schools with Laura Singleton, Counsel & Robert Saunooke, Senior Counsel from Singleton Schreiber. Pending CLE credit.
  • Mixer to follow
• Nov. 7th**, The Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center is a sponsor of the 10th Annual Native Nations Nursing, Helpers, and Healers Summit with keynote speaker and international best selling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer
  • More details can be found at https://nursing.wisc.edu/native-nations-nursing/
• Nov. 13th, Pipeline Resistance with Robert Lundberg, Senior Associate Attorney at Earthjustice & Anya Janssen, Staff Attorney for Native Nations Partnerships at Midwest Environmental Advocates. Pending CLE credit.
• Nov. 14th, Global Indigenous Environmental Movements with Reynaldo A. Morales at the University of Wisconsin Educational Policy Studies. Pending CLE credit.
• Nov. 20th, Climate Justice & Youth Activism with Nate Bellinger, Supervising Senior Staff Attorney at Our Children's Trust & Tony Wilkin Gibart, Executive Director at Midwest Environmental Advocates. Pending CLE credit.
• Nov. 21st, Indigenous Climate Justice: The Path to Healthy Communities through Equitable Decarbonization with Mia Montoya Hammersley, Director of Climate Justice at the Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Pending CLE credit.

Use the following link to register to attend in-person or virtually, https://go.wisc.edu/glilc2025

*all events will take place in the Lubar Commons, Rm 7200 in the University of Wisconsin Law School from 12:00 PM -1:30 PM 

**this event will not take place at the University of Wisconsin Law School

Questions? Email jcrocetti@wisc.edu  

  

Support GLILC

Use the button below to make a donation in support of the Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center.

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Alumni Spotlight: The Honorable Samuel R. C. Crowfoot ’12

Samuel Crowfoot, who grew up in the Siksika Blackfoot reservation in Alberta, Canada, knew from a young age that he wanted to be a lawyer and improve life for Native tribes. Just six years out of law school, Crowfoot now serves as the Chief Judge for the Pueblo of Zuni Tribal Court. Read the Q&A featured in the Gargoyle alumni magazine.

  

Indian Affairs in Wisconsin

• State-Tribal Relations (WI Legislative Committee)
• Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
• American Indian Chamber of Commerce
• Indian Law Section of the Wisconsin Bar Association
• American Indian Studies Program 
• Wisconsin Tribal Judges Association
• Turtle Talk