Pitt Law Sba

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! In celebration of today, SBA will be sharing informational posts concerning the takeover of Native lands in America. To begin, there are two landmark cases from the nineteenth century that outlined the Supreme Court’s precedent concerning Native Americans’ rights and authority with respect to their own land. ... Cherokee Nations v. Georgia, 30 U.S. 1 (1831) ~ The Court determined that the framers of the Constitution did not really consider the Indian Tribes as foreign nations but more as "domestic dependent nation[s]" and consequently the Cherokee Nation lacked the standing to sue as a "foreign" nation. Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 (1832) ~ The Supreme Court noted that the "treaties and laws of the United States contemplate the Indian territory as completely separated from that of the states; and provide that all intercourse with them shall be carried on exclusively by the government of the union... The Cherokee nation, then, is a distinct community occupying its own territory in which the laws of Georgia can have no force. The whole intercourse between the United States and this nation, is, by our constitution and laws, vested in the government of the United States." A more recent case arising from Oklahoma reflects modern judicial thought concerning the autonomy of Native tribes and their independence from the state. McGirt v. Oklahoma, 591 U.S. ___ (2020). ~ The Supreme Court's decision directly impacts Native American tribal citizens that are currently convicted under state law for crimes committed on the former reservation lands, as well as for any future descendants that may be arrested for similar crimes covered by the Major Crimes Acts, as their prosecution would become a matter of the federal courts and not the state. Common law, especially the dicta of the Supreme Court, has been immensely influential in the attitude towards Native American land rights. Where this country began with Native rights is hopefully not where we will go in the future. As Justice Gorsuch noted in McGirt, promises were made to Native tribes and those promises should be upheld. -SBA Diversity Committee

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Good morning! This is just a reminder that elections for SBA's Executive Board are TODAY from 9am-5pm. All currently enrolled students in the law school may vote, even those graduating this year. Please go to my.pitt.edu to cast your votes. The election will show up on the left hand side of the screen in the green box that has "Emergency Contact Information." Please make sure to click all the way through until there is a check mark in the box next to the position you voted for! Your vote will not be casted if you do not make sure you have finished with all of the prompts!

Please see the flyer below to get to know one of the candidates running for President of SBA!

Please see the flyer below to get to know one of the slates running for SBA!