Fall Research Opportunity – Tribal Constitutions Project
Tribal constitutions sit at the heart of Native Nation sovereignty. In partnership with the NYU-Yale American Indian Sovereignty Project, Northwestern University professors Beth Redbird, Assistant Professor of Sociology, and Erin Delaney, Professor of Law, are building a database of over 1,053 constitutions and amendments representing nearly 150 years of tribal constitutional history, which eventually will be made public. They are looking for law students interested in constitutional and/or Indian law to read, summarize, and code these documents.
Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the formal strategies employed by tribes when creating constitutions and of the evolution of constitutional constructs over time. Coders will be credited/acknowledged on the public release. For effective coding, students need to have taken U.S. Constitutional Law and have taken or have knowledge of federal Indian law or tribal law.
Students can contribute anywhere from 5-20 hours per week and will meet regularly by Zoom with the team to discuss substantive issues and questions that arise. This project will provide pro bono credit or compensation through Northwestern University ($16/hour).
To participate, please contact Leah Shrestinian at leah.shrestinian@nyu.edu with a CV and brief statement of interest by August 1, 2023. Successful applicants will begin work at the start of the Fall 2023 semester.