Editors: Photographers are welcome to attend the Navajo Nation Supreme Court visit on Monday, Oct. 23, in the Fleming Law building provided they do not disrupt the proceedings.
The Native American Law Â鶹ÒùÔº Association at the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law will host a session of the Navajo Supreme Court on Monday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. in the Lindsley Memorial Courtroom of the Fleming Law Building.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will present the case of Smith v. Yazza, a child support case. The issue in question is whether the courts of the Navajo Nation should enforce a child support order entered by the Pima County, Arizona Superior Court.
The case is important because it examines the Navajo public policy and common law behind due process -- and whether the procedures followed by the Pima County court are consistent with that tradition, said Anetra Parks, president of the Native American Law Â鶹ÒùÔº Association.
The case is being presented at the CU School of Law because the justices of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court adopted a policy that gives law students the opportunity to hear real cases, exposing them to an Indian nation court at work, Parks said.
"These events are an occasion to share ideas about American Indian policy and to recognize the legitimacy of the American Indian judicial system," Parks said.
The CU School of Law was among the first law schools to invite the court to campus for a courtroom hearing in 1996, Parks said. Other universities such as, Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan, also have hosted the Navajo Supreme Court sessions.
The event will begin with a keynote address at 3 p.m. by Chief Justice Robert Yazzie. He will explain Navajo law and its court system, setting the stage for oral arguments. Along with Yazzie, Associate Justices Allen Sloan and Lorretta Morris will preside over the case. A question-and-answer period will follow the keynote address.
At 4 p.m. the attorneys for both parties will present oral arguments in the case. Another question-and-answer period will follow the oral arguments.
Following the court case the Native American Law Â鶹ÒùÔº Association and the Native American Rights Fund will co-host a dinner honoring the Navajo Nation Supreme Court at 6 p.m. at the University Club. Seating for this event is limited and those who wish to attend must contact Parks.
The event is sponsored by the Native American Law Â鶹ÒùÔº Association; the CU-Indian Law Clinic and the deanÂ’s office; the offices of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Chancellor; the President's Fund for the Support of Diversity; CU-Boulder Outreach Committee; Cultural Events Board; Native American Rights Fund; Fredericks, Pelcyger, and Hester, LLC; Whiteing and Smith; and Greene, Meyer and McElroy.
For more information about this event contact Anetra Parks at (720) 406-7667.