Native American Rights Fund/National Association of Indian Legal Services - Tribal Civil Legal Assistance Project

Authorized by 25 USC 3651, et seq., BJA's Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance (TCCLA) grants serve to enhance operations of tribal court systems and improve access to those systems through legal services; and to support the development and enhancement of tribal justice systems. The FY 2013 TCCLA Program will support programs under three categories - 1) civil, 2) criminal, and 3) training and technical assistance. For Categories 1, Civil and 2, Criminal, eligible applicants were non-profit organizations with a tax status of 501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue Service Code, including tribal enterprises and educational institutions. The grants in categories 1 and 2 are designed to strengthen and improve the representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases and indigent respondents in civil causes of action under the jurisdiction of Indian tribes. For Category 3, TTA, eligible applicants were national or regional membership organizations and associations whose membership or a membership section consists of judicial system personnel within tribal justice systems. The awards are designed to provide quality training and technical assistance to develop and enhance tribal justice systems.

The award recipient will use the category one (civil) funds to enhance the operations of tribal justice systems and improve access to those systems through the representation of indigent respondents in civil causes of action under the jurisdiction of Indian tribes.

NARF will subcontract funds to 24 of the member organizations of the National Association of Indian Legal Services (NAILS). NAILS is a consortium of 24 non-profit Indian Legal Services programs serving the legal needs of eligible Indians and tribes under federal poverty guidelines in 24 states. Tribal courts throughout Indian Country are under increasing pressure to grow and to provide a wider array of legal services for an increasing number of people. However, the number of attorneys on and near reservations available to represent those individuals and to develop those tribal courts is not keeping pace with the growth of and demands on the tribal courts. These 24 independent NAILS programs exist to address those problems. Through this project NAILS programs will continue to provide representation to individuals in the most pressing areas of civil law. NARF will also assist tribal courts directly in the subject areas they identify as most pressing to help them develop codes and procedures to meet the expanding needs for tribal justice systems. CA/NCF