
- Includes 5 new landmark cases and 20 years of updates since the previous edition
- All 50+ cases are categorized under one or more relevant subject heading(s) and include West Headnotes
- This new edition now identifies the significance of each case via individual case summaries
- Features fundamental cases such as McGirt v. Oklahoma, Talton v. Mayes, Worcester v. Georgia, and many more
- A must-have title for anyone researching federal Indigenous law
About This Title
Landmark Indian Law Cases focuses on a core set of Indigenous law cases from the U.S. Supreme Court that provide the legal framework for fundamental Indigenous law topics. Spanning nearly two centuries, U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence is expansive, and it is helpful for both those working in the field and those interested in learning about it to have a book that narrows down the landmark cases and explains their importance.
The first edition of this publication (1988), titled Top Fifty Indian Law Cases, was created as a resource to collate the Supreme Court’s significant federal Indigenous law decisions. It was revised in 1990, and then again in May 2000, adding three new cases and reflecting another decade of important decisions. Likewise, this latest edition includes several changes and improvements. First, this edition adds five cases that were either decided or gained elevated significance in the twenty years since the last edition. Finally, for each case a summary has been added to explain why it is a landmark Indigenous law case and the key holding(s) of the decision.
Westlaw Headnotes are included with the opinion in each case, while the Subject Index of Cases allows readers to immediately identify the landmark case in a specific area of federal Indigenous law. Additionally, notes within the book indicate the cases for which pleadings are available from the National Indian Law Library.
Subject Index of Cases Includes:
- Civil Rights
- Criminal Jurisdiction
- Gaming
- Reservations
- And nearly 50 more!
About the Editor

Joel West Williams is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a former Senior Staff Attorney with the Native American Rights Fund. He has litigated a wide variety of Indian law matters and was NARF’s lead attorney on the Tribal Supreme Court Project, which focuses on Indian law cases before the United States Supreme Court. He also serves as an adjunct professor of law at Vermont Law School. Mr. Williams received his B.A. from Naropa University; J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School; and LL.M., Environmental Law from Vermont Law School.
Landmark Indian Law Cases, Second Edition
AALL Publication Series No. 65
Editor: Joel West Williams
Item #: 7982
ISBN: 978-0-8377-4259-5
Pages: 1,070p.
Hardcover…….$199.00
Published: Getzville; William S. Hein & Co., Inc.; 2022
*Standing order customers automatically receive this title.

Related HeinOnline Database

Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: History, Culture, & Law
Want to learn more about Indigenous peoples and law in the Americas? This HeinOnline database is an expansive archive of materials related to Indigenous American life and law, including hundreds of treaties, tribal codes, constitutions, and much more.
Related HeinOnline Blog Posts

Secrets of the Serial Set: The Wounded Knee Massacre
It’s no secret that American history is full of heinous acts committed by white settlers against the indigenous peoples who populated North America centuries before Christopher Columbus was even born. One such example is the Wounded Knee Massacre
>> Read More

McGirt v. Oklahoma: A Historic Win for Native American Rights
In September 2020, a landmark decision from the Supreme Court marked a historic win for Native American tribes, acknowledging their rights and forever transforming the justice system of the state of Oklahoma.
>> Read More

A Columbus Day Exploration of Indigenous American History
On this day each October, we observe the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas in 1492. However, the often-devastating impact of “Western” influences on indigenous Americans has led some to be wary of celebrating the man who started it all.
>> Read More