Wisconsin will host nation's first meeting of federal, state, tribal judges in Green Bay

July 26, 2005

Representatives of the nation's federal, state, and tribal courts will gather in Green Bay this week for the first-ever national conference of judges from the three court systems. Organizers expect more than 300 attendees – about 100 more than originally anticipated – including judges, attorneys, peacemakers, mediators, and others who work in the justice systems in Wisconsin, Alaska, California, Florida, Maine, and many points in between. The conference, Walking on Common Ground: Pathways to Equal Justice, will begin on the evening of Tuesday, July 26 and run through Friday, July 29 at the Oneida Nation Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 2040 Airport Drive, Green Bay.

Discussions (see full agenda here: www.walkingoncommonground.org) will focus on judicial independence, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the many issues surrounding the choice of a court forum and recognition by one court system of judgments and orders that have been issued by another court system. These issues become key in cases involving shared jurisdiction such as divorces in which one party is a tribal member or a lawsuit that involves a tribe. Sometimes in such cases, hearings are held in both the state and tribal courts on the same issues – resulting in confusion and inefficiency.

In 1999, Wisconsin's federal, state, and tribal courts began working together to find ways to address jurisdictional disputes. Since then, judges from the three systems have developed state and regional conferences, training sessions on specific topics, and written protocols to guide the process of determining which court has jurisdiction when there is a dispute. Wisconsin's status as a leader in this effort made it a natural choice to host this historic national conference.

"What tribal courts do and how they function is the concern of tribal nations," said Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson. "How tribal, state, and federal courts interface with one another is the concern of the entire nation."

Conference organizers include the Wisconsin Judicial Education Office of the Wisconsin Supreme Court; the National Conference of Chief Justices; the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance's Office of Justice Programs; the Fox Valley Technical College Criminal Justice Center for Innovation; the Federal Judicial Center; the American Bar Association Judicial Division's Tribal Court Council; the Wisconsin Tribal Judges Association; the National American Indian Court Judges Association; and more.

Conference highlights include:
Tuesday, July 26, 5-7 p.m. – The Wisconsin Tribal Judges Association will sponsor a welcoming reception. During this reception, a tribal government specialist from Fairbanks, Alaska will present a documentary and lead a discussion on Juvenile Healing Courts.

Wednesday, July 27, 9:30-10:30 a.m. – A discussion of judicial leadership with Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson and Forest County Potawatomi Chief Judge Eugene White-Fish, president of the National American Indian Court Judges Association.

Thursday, July 28, 9:30-10:15 a.m. – Judges from the state and tribal courts that comprise Wisconsin's Ninth Judicial District (covering Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Menominee, Oneida, Price, Shawano, Taylor, and Vilas counties) will participate in a ceremony to sign a cooperative agreement on allocating jurisdiction. Learn more about this historic ceremony.