NCAI’s legal and governance work is centered on defending tribal sovereignty, protecting the inherent rights of Native peoples, and expanding Native peoples’ ability to exercise their own self-determination. NCAI’s legal and governance efforts focus heavily on ensuring that the judicial branch is aware of Tribal Nations’ legal arguments and positions on a wide range of issues. NCAI’s work in this area includes supporting litigation throughout the country, promoting Native nominees for judicial appointment, and scrutinizing the record of federal judicial nominees.
Through NCAI’s partnership with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) on the Tribal Supreme Court Project (TSCP), NCAI has continued to supplement initiatives that protect and aid Native peoples and communities before the United States’ Supreme Court. Through the TSCP, and other engagement with litigation around the country, NCAI contributes to substantive conversations about the law and works to enact strategies to change it.