The American Indian Law Deskbook [Hardcover]

Conference of Western Attorneys General (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998 | Series: American Indian Law Deskbook

The American Indian Law Deskbook, Second Edition, a collaborative effort of attorneys from the western states' Attorneys General offices who are faced daily with legal questions involving state and tribal relations, is the first, now revised, comprehensive treatise on Indian law that provides readers with the necessary historical and legal framework to understand the complexities faced by states, Indian tribes, and the federal government in Indian country.

The Deskbook includes discussions of: the evolution of federal statutory Indian law and the judicial foundations of federal Indian policy; an extensive compilation and analysis of federal and state court decisions; reservation and Indian lands ownership and property interests; the parameters of criminal jurisdiction in Indian country; concepts of tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction relating to a number of specific areas including environmental regulation, water rights, gaming, and child welfare; and cooperative approaches used by the states and tribes for resolving jurisdiction disputes and promoting better relations.

Thorough, scholarly, and balanced, the American Indian Law Deskbook, Second Edition will be an invaluable reference to a wide range of people working with Indian tribes, including attorneys and legal scholars, government officials, social workers, state and tribal courts, historians, and corporations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 520 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Colorado; 2 edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870814710
• ISBN-13: 978-0870814716
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,873,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important and useful source for federal Indian law, May 7, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The American Indian Law Deskbook (Hardcover)

Federal Indian law is a quagmire that demands useful navigational tools. In the past, Felix Cohen's "Handbook of Federal Indian Law" (particularly the 1942 ed.) was used by everyone - including Supreme Court Justices - to better understand this jurisprudence. This field of law, however, has evolved in many ways in the intervening twenty years and the "American Indian Law Deskbook" permits readers to learn about these changes in the responsibilities and exposures of the states, tribes, and federal government. Indeed, this is the second edition, and the foreword indicates that even the five-year period between editions had been eventful. The overall intent of this publication is to present relevant legal history to sustain an understanding of Indian law today.

The editors have included Tables of Cases (32 pp.), and of Statutes and Codes (9 pp.), as well as a bibliography (10 pp.). One important note must be added. Yearly supplements are a crucial part of the business of legal research, and the editors of the "American Indian Law Deskbook" realized this when they published the first edition in 1993. This practice has continued, and stand-alone yearly supplements are available for both 1999 and 2000 that update the current edition.

"American Indian Law Deskbook" augments Cohen's "Handbook." It should be considered as a core holding for those with a desire and/or a need to learn more about current federal Indian law.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource in Indian law, March 2, 2002

By 

Andrea V. Wan (Fairbanks, AK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The American Indian Law Deskbook (Hardcover)

This is an excellent resource in federal Indian law. It is updated annually via cumulative pocket-parts and is a thorough review of the subject. It is a great place to begin research in Indian law because it lays out the blackletter and has copious citations to the major (and sometimes less major) cases on the subject. For me, if I could have only one book on the subject, this would be it.