Who We Are
The American Indian Law Review serves as a nationwide scholarly forum for analysis of developments in legal issues pertaining to Native Americans and indigenous peoples worldwide. Publishing two issues each year, AILR circulates in-depth articles by legal scholars, attorneys and other expert observers. In addition, the Review provides comments and notes written by student members and editors on a variety of Indian law-related topics.
Every spring AILR hosts one of the nation’s largest symposia on Native American law, in partnership with OU’s Native American Studies Department and the Native American Law Students Association. AILR also sponsors an annual Indian law writing competition, which is open to currently enrolled law students throughout the United States and Canada. The top three entries are awarded cash prizes and the first place entry is published in the Review.
Founded in 1973 by an enterprising group of students, AILR consistently boasts a broad membership dedicated to the study of Native American law. Approximately fifty OU Law students participate in AILR each academic year.
What's New at AILR
The latest issue of the American Indian Law Review, vol. 48, no. 1, was published in April and has been posted at the Current Issues page. Featured in this issue is the winning paper in the 2023 AILR National Writing Competition, “Unprincipled Preemption: Why the Supreme Court Was Wrong in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta to Abandon Exclusive Federal Jurisdiction over Crimes by Non-Indians Against Indians in Indian Country,” by Eric Ramoutar; and another special feature, “Removing the Stain Without Undermining Military Awards: Revoking Medals Earned at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890,” by Dwight S. Mears. Also featured are a new student comment, “The Split from Precedent: An Analysis of the Negative Impact Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta Will Have in Indian Country,” by Meg A. Bloom; and three new student notes, “The Indian Child Welfare Act, Political Classification of “Indians,” and Preservation of Tribal Sovereignty: Children, the Most Precious Resource,” by Rachel Yost; “Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta: Oklahoma’s Latest Power Grab and Its Implications for Native Women in a Post-Roe World,” by Camryn A. Conroy; and “A Note on Navajo Nation v. Urban Outfitters, Inc.,” by Brantly J. Stockton.
American Indian Law Review editors serving for the 2023-2024 academic year are: Editor-in-Chief: J. Santana Spangler-Day; Managing Editor: Rachel M. Yost; Executive Editor: Rudy A. Sanchez; Business Development Editor: James Hulin; Articles Development Editor: Nicole Low; Assistant Managing Editors: Rebecca M. Kamp, LeeAnn Littlejohn, Miranda Padilla, and Dillon M. Sullivan; Assistant Executive Editors: Meg Bloom, Kara Givens, Caroline Stout-Thurmaier, and Stassi M. Vullo; Research Editors: Camryn A. Conroy, Madelynn M. Dancer, and LeeAnn Littlejohn; and Writing Competitions Editor: Miranda Padilla.
Judging is ongoing in the 2023-2024 American Indian Law Review National Writing Competition. See the Writing Competition page for details.
Vol. 47, no. 2 of the American Indian Law Review, published in Septenber 2023, is also available in PDF format at the Current Issues page. This issue features four student comments: “The Winding Trail: A Look at Non-Linear Temporality in Literary Works in Response to the Issue of Sovereignty,” by Gabrielle Jones; “Pachamama over People and Profit: A Case for Indigenous Ecology and Environmental Personhood,” by Hilda Loury; “The Administration of Injustice: The Conflict Between Federal and Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction,” by Grace Slaff; and “Indian Country’s Continued Struggle with the Opioid Crisis: Focused Problem Areas, the Federal Government’s Response, and What More Can Be Done,” by AshLynn M. Wilkerson. Concluding this issue is a special feature: the Best Appellate Brief in the 2023 Native American Law Student Association Moot Court Competition, by Noah Goldenberg & Clayton Kinsey.
The AILR is currently reviewing articles. See the Submissions page for details.
The AILR archive of past issues is available free of charge. PDF copies of issues going back to vol. 1, no. 1 (1973) can be found through our Digital Commons page.
How to Contact Us
J. Santana Spangler-Day, Editor-in-Chief: jack.s.spanglerday-1@ou.edu, (405) 325-2840
Michael Waters, Editorial Advisor: mwaters@ou.edu, (405) 325-5191
The American Indian Law Review is dedicated to publishing scholarly work in the field of federal Indian law and issues affecting indigenous peoples. The editorial board consists of law students, not licensed attorneys, and cannot provide legal advice. For assistance with legal issues please contact your local legal aid society.
AILR may be contacted by regular mail at: American Indian Law Review, University of Oklahoma College of Law, 300 Timberdell Road, Norman, OK 73019
AILR on Digital Commons
Explore AILR archives on OU Law's Digital Commons.