The goal of CILS in the area of Indian child welfare is to increase compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and related state laws, is to ensure that regardless of their eventual placement, Indian children to maintain important ties to their tribal communities. CILS' success in ICWA matters directly affects the placement environments and cultural connections of hundreds of Indian children living in California. CILS represents both in-state and out-of-state tribes in California court proceedings, including dependency, delinquency, and probate guardianship matters involving Indian children. When the ICWA applies to these types of cases, CILS' experience and knowledge makes us an expert in ensuring compliance with the ICWA and applicable state laws.

CILS routinely intervenes on behalf of its tribal clients and actively works with social workers and legal counsel for the other parties to keep Indian families together. Many tribes rely on their tribal ICWA worker to represent their interests in state court. While such practice is common it is not always ideal, since formal legal representation best practice is to be represented by trained and licensed legal professionals who can afford tribes all the protections of the attorney-client relationship. Attorneys, unlike tribal social workers, can protect tribal statements with attorney/client confidentiality and cannot be called as a witness against the tribe.

With four offices strategically located throughout California, CILS acts as an effective advocate in court working with social service agencies and encouraging family reunification and cultural preservation.

If the tribe acknowledges the child as a member or eligible for membership, all of ICWA's substantive requirements apply even if the tribe does not intervene. The tribe must be consulted with respect to the placement of the child and case planning for both the Indian parents and the Indian child. Case plans must use the available resources of the tribe, extended family members, other Indian service agencies and individual Indian caregivers.

CILS is one of the oldest not-for-profit law firms devoted exclusively to the cause of Native American rights. Governed by a Board of Trustees endorsed by California tribes and tribal organizations, CILS has provided free and low-cost legal services to California tribes, tribal organizations, and Native American individuals throughout the State since 1967.

CILS is proud of our many important achievements over the last four decades, including significant Supreme Court and legislative victories in the areas of Indian child welfare and cultural resource protection, securing federal recognition for dozens of California tribes, hosting numerous statewide conferences on Indian law issues, and the successful resolution of thousands of legal issues for Indian individuals, families, tribes, and native organizations.