Tribal Court Mentors Circle

The Tribal Law and Policy Institute is pleased to announce the formation of the Tribal Court Mentors Circle, an on-line community of individuals who have volunteered to share their knowledge and expertise in assisting people who work in Native American Tribal courts. We have established the Tribal Court Mentors Circle so that Tribal court personnel can seek advice from individuals, like themselves, who work in Tribal courts and in Indian Country.

Below you find links to frequently asked question about the Tribal Court Mentors Circle, an on-line form you may use to Sign up and Join the Tribal Court Mentors Circle, and an on-line form you may use to Submit a Question to the Tribal Court Mentors Circle.

NOTE: The National Tribal Justice Resource Centers' Lending a Helping Hand - The Tribal Justice System Mentor Project creates mentor partnerships by matching new and developing Native American and Alaska Native tribal justice systems with established, effective tribal courts to provide technical assistance with the creation and enhancement of these systems. This project builds on the already decades-old practice of tribal courts helping each other through the informal sharing of information, advice and experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Mentors Circle work?

Once you have become a member of the Tribal Court Mentors Circle, you will periodically receive by e-mail questions from someone who is working in some capacity in a Tribal court. You may then respond directly to that individual or direct your response to the staff of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, who will then forward your advice on to the sender. If you have need for assistance, you may address your request for assistance to the Tribal Court Mentors Circle. The staff of the Tribal Law & Policy Institute will review your request and then forward it on to those individuals we feel have the necessary expertise to adequately address your request.

What skills do you require of someone who wishes to join the Tribal Court Mentors Circle and become a Tribal court mentor?

Generally speaking, all that is required is that you have experience or knowledge in a specific area of Tribal law and/or a specific aspect of Tribal courts, and that you have internet access and an e-mail address where we may reach you.

What happens if I receive a question that I don't have the answer to?

When you join the Tribal Court Mentors Circle you are assigned to a specific category based upon your expertise and work experience. When we receive a request for assistance, we then forward that request only to those individuals who we feel have the requisite expertise in that subject area. For example, if someone requests assistance on an Indian probate law issue, that request would only be forwarded to those individual Mentors who have had Indian probate law experience.

If I have a problem that requires immediate attention should I use the Mentors Circle?

We would discourage anyone who needs advice that is time critical from using the Tribal Court Mentors Circle for we cannot guarantee that you would receive a response within a timeline that you specify. A more appropriate forum would be to use the various Mailing Lists and Forums which are listed here in the Tribal Court Clearinghouse.

I submitted a question to the Tribal Court Mentors Circle and I only received one reply. What happened?

The individuals who have joined the Tribal Court Mentors Circle have volunteered to assist people like yourself who require advice in a specific area of their work. Due to work schedules, vacations, sickness or other situations, individual mentors may not be available at all times to assist you. Submitting a question or a request for assistance to the Tribal Court Mentors Circle does not guarantee that you will always hear back from someone, or that the responses you receive will arrive within a deadline that you specified. 

If I decide to join the Tribal Court Mentors Circle and become a Tribal court mentor, how much time would I have to spend each week answering questions that you forward on to me?

We do not anticipate that as a member of the Tribal Court Mentors Circle you would receive more than one or two requests per week, but cannot guarantee this. The length of time you may be required to spend addressing requests will vary depending on the nature of the problem submitted to you and the availability of other mentors. Keep in mind that the request for assistance that you received may have also been sent to other Tribal Court Mentors, so you may choose which requests that you receive warrant your attention and response.

Note: Before you request assistance from the Tribal Court Mentors Circle, please Read our Disclaimer.

I wish to Submit a Question to the Tribal Court Mentors Circle.

I wish to Sign up and Join the Tribal Court Mentors Circle and become a Tribal court mentor.