Tribal Justice Project Fund

The Tribal Justice Project (TJP) at UC Davis School of Law seeks to enhance the capacity and sovereignty of tribes in California by providing culturally appropriate training for tribal judges and court personnel. The Project, the first of kind, targets tribes in California and other states that are governed by Public Law 280. Public Law 280 is a federal law that allows the state to assume concurrent jurisdiction in certain criminal and civil matters over Indians on certain tribal lands. Historically, this law has created significant challenges for tribes in California and other Public Law 280 states that wish to establish their own tribal courts. TJP strives to address these challenges through trainings and promoting tribal court development.