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On Thursday, April 18, the Native American Law Center (NALC) hosted a group of distinguished visitors from around the world who were in Seattle as part of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), operated by the World Affairs Council.

This group of lawyers, advocates, and judges is visiting the United States to learn more about juvenile justice and family law issues and, among their busy itinerary, made time to visit with the NALC and learn about the intersection of those issues with the rights of Native Nations and Indigenous people. 

More about the Program

The Department of State has outlined the following specific objectives for the project:

• Explore the rule of law and the U.S. judicial system, with special emphasis on the policies, programs and legal structures in place to protect women and children as well as legislation, programs and the legal system evolving in addressing juvenile justice;
• Gain an understanding of the court systems established to address crimes against women and children such as family court;
• Become familiar with the juvenile justice system in the United States and best practices in treatment and rehabilitation tailored to the needs of juvenile offenders and their families;
• Explore training of law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges to understand and address crimes against women and children and how best to treat juvenile offenders;
• Gain insight into the role of the NGO sector in providing research and social services to protect women and children and prevent crimes against them;
• Examine methods to address juvenile delinquency such as restorative justice programs; and
• Create linkages among professionals in the legal field working to promote international cooperation in strengthening access to justice for women and children.