Page 24 - Tribal Court Law and Justice Booklet

UW Native American Law Center

Public Defense Clinic

The Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic at the University of Washington
Native American Law Center provides public defense services in Tulalip
Tribal Court. The Clinic Directors, Molly Cohan and Brenda Williams,
and one staff attorney, Maya Titova, represent clients year round. This
service has been in place since 2002. Since that time, the Clinic has
handled almost 3,000 cases in Tulalip Tribal Court. The supervisors’
areas of expertise include; criminal law, tribal criminal law, the Indian
Civil Rights Act, as amended by the Law and Order Act, and the
re-authorized Violence Against Woman Act.
Second and third year University of Washington law students are selected
after application to work in the Clinic. All clinic advocates must pass the
Tulalip Tribal Court Bar Exam and be admitted to practice by the Tulalip
Tribal Court. Students work closely with their supervisors, forming
a defense team that works on the behalf of the accused. Funding for
this service is supported primarily by charitable contributions from the
Tulalip Tribes.
The Tribal Court appoints the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic when
the defendant’s household income qualifies under Tulalip law. If you
are charged with a criminal offense in the Tulalip Tribal Court, you may
apply to be screened for eligibility in advance of your first hearing or you
may apply at that time of your first court date. Applications are available
at the Tribal Court or at the website below. If you are eligible for Clinic
representation, Clinic Counsel will be appointed to represent you at your
first court hearing. If the Clinic cannot represent you due to a conflict of
interest, the court will appoint Conflict Counsel. If you are arrested and
incarcerated prior to charging, you must appear before the judge at which
time you may apply for Counsel.
To contact the Clinic, you can call toll free at 1-866-550-2979. If no one
answers, leave a message with a good time to call back. You may also
call 206-616-4201 or 206-685-3917.
Website: https://www.law.washington.edu/clinics/tribal/
Defense Counsel—Conflict of Interest
Outside Defense Counsel are appointed by the Judge at the time of
your hearing if a conflict of interest exists in a specific case at the
Court’s expense.

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