Suffolk University Law School will celebrate the launch of its new clinical law program, the Indian Law and Indigenous Peoples Clinic from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21.

Law School Dean Camille Nelson will preside over the celebration, which will include representatives from several New England tribes and a performance by the Eastern Suns drum group.

The new clinical program, which will be offered to students beginning in spring 2012, is the only one of its kind among the New England law schools. There are nine federally recognized tribes in the region as well as many more state-recognized tribes, and the clinic will serve the legal needs of tribal governments and their courts located in New England as well as individual Native Americans.

Under the guidance of Suffolk Law Professor and Director of Clinical Programs Jeffrey Pokorak, the Indian Law and Indigenous Peoples Clinic will be a strong complement to the existing clinical programs, which offer students opportunities to learn about the real practice of law while providing essential services to populations that are largely underserved by the legal profession.

“The Indian Law and Indigenous Peoples clinic will encourage and advance the study of federal Indian law and international human rights as it applies to indigenous peoples,” said Pokorak. “Like all our clinical programs, it gives students the opportunity to develop their overall legal skills through practice while honing skills that are unique to working with the tribal governments.”

Pokorak, a recognized leader in experiential learning, helped re-create the Suffolk Law Clinical Programs. He teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, capital punishment, evidence and international criminal activity.

To learn more about the Indian law and Indigenous Peoples Clinic, please contact Nicole Friederichs, Practitioner-in-Residence, 617-305-1682.