- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Higher Education
The Indian Nations Gaming & Governance Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the National Tribal Judicial Center at the National Judicial College have formed a partnership to expand training and professional development opportunities for tribal judges.
The collaboration brings together two institutions focused on tribal governance and legal education, with an emphasis on strengthening court systems and leadership capacity across Indian Country. Officials said the effort will combine academic instruction with practical training tailored to tribal legal systems.
The partnership’s first initiative is the creation of the National Tribal Judicial Academy, a training program for prospective and newly appointed tribal judges. The academy is designed to prepare tribal citizens — including those without formal legal training — to serve on the bench.
Danielle Finn, director of the Indian Nations Gaming & Governance Program, said the academy addresses a gap in hands-on training. “The launch of the National Tribal Judicial Academy fills a need in Indian Country to provide experiential learning; hands-on practical training for new and returning judges.”
Over the next year, the organizations plan to develop additional programming aimed at tribal judiciaries.
The first academy session is scheduled for Aug. 10–13, 2026, at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas.
