204:, a federal policy that sought to strengthen tribal governments and reduce federal domination of Indian tribes. Cohen was the drafter of the centerpiece legislation of this era, the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. In his research on Indian law, he was assisted by his wife Lucy Kramer Cohen (1907-2007). She had studied mathematics and anthropology at Barnard College in the 1920s and earned her master's degree in mathematics from Columbia University. With background in anthropology, economics, and statistics, she had worked for anthropology professor
256:, and successfully challenged Arizona's practice of denying social security benefits to Indians. He also continued to write and advocate regarding Federal Indian Law, publishing The Erosion of Indian Rights 1950-1953: A Case Study in Bureaucracy, 62 Yale L. J. 348 (1952–53), shortly before his untimely death in 1953. Cohen had also become increasingly committed to fighting other forms of oppression, in particular to securing the rights of immigrants and ethnic minorities. His major articles are anthologized in
219:, became much more than a simple survey. The Handbook was the first to show how hundreds of years of diverse treaties, statutes, and decisions formed a comprehensive whole. Today, Cohen is credited with creating the modern field of Federal Indian Law. Although the treatise began as a joint project between the Department of Interior and the Department of Justice, Justice fired Cohen from the project and terminated the survey. The motivations of Justice are not entirely clear. Cohen seemed to believe that
182:, a legal movement that challenged the Formalist idea that legal principles could be discerned in the abstract, separate from their enforcement, judicial interpretation, or impact on society. Cohen's most famous contribution to this debate was "Transcendental Nonsense and the Functional Approach", which ran in the
223:
was at play, but there were also substantial ideological differences between Cohen and his supervisors at
Justice. Justice may have been concerned that the book would be too powerful a tool for Indian tribes. Ultimately, the book was published, but under the auspices of Interior alone. For this work,
1129:
231:
Cohen left government service in 1947 after federal policy shifted from one of support for tribal governments to that of terminating tribal sovereign status. He then entered private legal practice and taught legal philosophy at
1200:
992:
802:
1092:
908:
1165:
683:
944:
1175:
980:
755:
635:
956:
611:
137:(July 3, 1907 – October 19, 1953) was an American lawyer and scholar who made a lasting mark on legal philosophy and fundamentally shaped federal Indian law and policy.
967:
707:
471:
1033:
587:
997:
972:
691:
1180:
627:
1185:
1170:
731:
1117:
1013:
938:
914:
484:
212:
269:
595:
464:
1205:
1160:
902:
563:
1122:
950:
438:
1072:
667:
531:
619:
1195:
457:
320:
The legal conscience, selected papers. Edited by Lucy Kramer Cohen. Foreword by Felix
Frankfurter. Introd. by Eugene V. Rostow
1056:
659:
890:
105:
1077:
932:
771:
480:
384:
211:
In 1939 Felix Cohen became Chief of the Indian Law Survey, an effort to compile the federal laws and treaties regarding
1087:
872:
507:
197:
196:
administration brought Cohen from academic study to public service. Cohen worked in the
Solicitor's Office of the
1190:
866:
793:
651:
444:
1018:
920:
896:
723:
248:. While in private practice, Cohen litigated Indian land claims, won the right to vote for American Indians in
225:
154:
66:
228:
reissued the initial
Handbook in 1971, and updated versions of the Handbook were published in 1982 and 2005.
1067:
878:
88:
1082:
985:
860:
739:
643:
579:
539:
405:
Dalia Tsuk
Mitchell, Architect of Justice: Felix Cohen and the Founding of American Legal Pluralism (2007)
830:
747:
523:
1155:
1150:
515:
1023:
499:
167:
162:
74:
449:
439:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080823175343/http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/product/57318.html
1062:
1043:
848:
836:
824:
818:
785:
237:
189:
158:
98:
70:
1038:
763:
675:
547:
323:
306:
289:
172:
122:
1050:
779:
699:
603:
571:
245:
233:
201:
1107:
884:
555:
303:
Ethical systems and legal ideals : an essay on the foundations of legal criticism
283:
1144:
1112:
1097:
715:
179:
110:
359:
A Passion for the True and Just: Felix and Lucy Kramer Cohen and the Indian New Deal
165:
in 1928 and graduated in 1931. He was the legislation and book review editor of the
926:
220:
1130:
United States
Congressional Joint Special Committee on Conditions of Indian Tribes
434:. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
200:
from 1933 to 1947. In this position, Cohen was the primary legal architect of the
1028:
431:
1102:
249:
205:
445:
http://lsolum.typepad.com/legal_theory_lexicon/2006/09/legal_theory_le_2.html
854:
842:
443:
Legal Theory
Lexicon: Realist Deconstruction of Formalist Legal Categories:
146:
42:
186:
in 1935 and remains among the most-cited law review articles ever written.
370:
See Kevin K. Washburn, Felix Cohen, Anti-Semitism and
Federal Indian Law,
260:, which was edited and assembled by his widow Lucy Kramer Cohen in 1960.
224:
Cohen received the department's
Distinguished Service Award in 1948. The
193:
408:
Nell Newton, et al. eds., Cohen's
Handbook of Federal Indian Law (2005)
253:
150:
411:
Kevin K. Washburn, Felix Cohen, Anti-Semitism and Federal Indian Law,
285:
Handbook of federal Indian law : with reference tables and index
412:
371:
426:
803:
List of United States Supreme Court cases involving Indian tribes
327:
310:
293:
453:
1201:
Solicitors of the United States Department of the Interior
684:
County of Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York State
258:
The Legal Conscience: Selected Papers of Felix S. Cohen
945:
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
909:
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
305:(Reprint ed.). Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
756:
City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York
636:
Oneida Indian Nation of New York v. County of Oneida
157:, and received an M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from
1166:
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
1006:
966:
957:
Cherokee Nation Truth in Advertising for Native Art
811:
612:
Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation
491:
437:Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law (2005 ed.):
425:Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law (1941 ed.):
116:
104:
94:
84:
62:
50:
28:
21:
708:Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield
1034:Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
588:United States v. Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Co.
242:Readings in Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy
161:in 1927 and 1929, respectively. Cohen entered
465:
8:
1176:American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent
692:South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc.
322:. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
215:. The resulting book, published in 1941 as
628:McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax Commission
472:
458:
450:
18:
981:Federal recognition of Native Hawaiians
385:"Lucy Cohen; Helped Write Law Treatise"
350:
16:American lawyer and scholar (1907–1953)
915:American Indian Religious Freedom Act
732:Idaho v. Coeur d'Alene Tribe of Idaho
485:Native Americans in the United States
7:
596:Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States
236:, The City College of New York, and
903:Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
564:Seneca Nation of Indians v. Christy
1181:Townsend Harris High School alumni
217:The Handbook of Federal Indian Law
149:, New York in 1907 and grew up in
14:
1073:National Indian Gaming Commission
668:Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe
532:New York ex rel. Cutler v. Dibble
383:Sullivan, Patricia (2007-01-05).
178:Cohen became a leading figure in
620:Menominee Tribe v. United States
413:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1338795
372:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1338795
270:Native American–Jewish relations
171:, serving under Editor-in-Chief
1186:Scholars of Native American law
1171:City College of New York alumni
827:(1790,1793,1796,1799,1802,1834)
427:http://thorpe.ou.edu/cohen.html
1057:In the Courts of the Conqueror
660:Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez
1:
939:Native American Languages Act
1078:Native American civil rights
933:Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
772:Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl
1093:Recognition of sacred sites
1088:Native American Rights Fund
993:Federally recognized tribes
873:Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
244:with his father, Professor
145:Felix S. Cohen was born in
1222:
1206:20th-century American Jews
1161:Columbia Law School alumni
951:Indian Arts and Crafts Act
508:Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
357:See Alic B. Kehoe (2014).
339:. Oxford University Press.
240:. In 1951 Cohen published
198:Department of the Interior
867:Indian Reorganization Act
794:Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta
652:United States v. Antelope
288:. Washington, D.C.: GPO.
128:
80:
1019:Bureau of Indian Affairs
921:Indian Child Welfare Act
724:South Dakota v. Bourland
335:Cohen, Felix S. (1929).
318:Cohen, Felix S. (1960).
301:Cohen, Felix S. (1933).
282:Cohen, Felix S. (1942).
226:University of New Mexico
155:City College of New York
67:City College of New York
1068:Long Walk of the Navajo
998:State recognized tribes
897:Indian Civil Rights Act
89:20th-century philosophy
1196:Lawyers from Manhattan
1083:Native American gaming
986:Legal status of Hawaii
861:Indian Citizenship Act
740:Idaho v. United States
644:Bryan v. Itasca County
580:Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock
540:Standing Bear v. Crook
891:Indian Relocation Act
748:United States v. Lara
524:Fellows v. Blacksmith
432:Felix S. Cohen Papers
153:. Cohen attended the
516:Worcester v. Georgia
1063:Indian reservations
1024:Cherokee Commission
500:Johnson v. McIntosh
389:The Washington Post
337:What is a Question?
184:Columbia Law Review
168:Columbia Law Review
163:Columbia Law School
135:Felix Solomon Cohen
75:Columbia University
1123:Self-determination
1118:Tribal sovereignty
1044:Eagle-bone whistle
837:Indian Removal Act
825:Nonintercourse Act
819:Blood quantum laws
786:McGirt v. Oklahoma
238:Rutgers Law School
190:Franklin Roosevelt
159:Harvard University
99:Western philosophy
71:Harvard University
1138:
1137:
1039:Eagle feather law
973:State recognition
764:Cobell v. Salazar
676:Solem v. Bartlett
548:Ex parte Crow Dog
361:(U Arizona Press)
132:
131:
1213:
1191:American lawyers
1014:Aboriginal title
831:Civilization Act
767:(D.C. Cir. 2009)
474:
467:
460:
451:
393:
392:
380:
374:
368:
362:
355:
340:
331:
314:
297:
213:American Indians
173:Herbert Wechsler
123:Legal philosophy
57:
54:October 19, 1953
38:
36:
19:
1221:
1220:
1216:
1215:
1214:
1212:
1211:
1210:
1141:
1140:
1139:
1134:
1051:Hunting license
1002:
971:
962:
879:Nationality Act
807:
780:Sharp v. Murphy
700:Hodel v. Irving
604:Williams v. Lee
572:Talton v. Mayes
487:
478:
422:
402:
400:Further reading
397:
396:
391:. pp. B–6.
382:
381:
377:
369:
365:
356:
352:
347:
334:
317:
300:
281:
278:
266:
246:Morris R. Cohen
234:Yale Law School
202:Indian New Deal
143:
119:
73:
69:
63:Alma mater
55:
46:
40:
34:
32:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1219:
1217:
1209:
1208:
1203:
1198:
1193:
1188:
1183:
1178:
1173:
1168:
1163:
1158:
1153:
1143:
1142:
1136:
1135:
1133:
1132:
1127:
1126:
1125:
1115:
1110:
1108:Trail of Tears
1105:
1100:
1095:
1090:
1085:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1065:
1060:
1053:
1048:
1047:
1046:
1036:
1031:
1026:
1021:
1016:
1010:
1008:
1004:
1003:
1001:
1000:
995:
990:
989:
988:
977:
975:
964:
963:
961:
960:
954:
948:
942:
936:
930:
924:
918:
912:
906:
900:
894:
888:
885:Public Law 280
882:
876:
870:
864:
858:
852:
846:
840:
834:
828:
822:
821:(1705 onwards)
815:
813:
809:
808:
806:
805:
799:
798:
790:
776:
768:
760:
752:
744:
736:
728:
720:
712:
704:
696:
688:
680:
672:
664:
656:
648:
640:
632:
624:
616:
608:
600:
592:
584:
576:
568:
560:
556:Elk v. Wilkins
552:
544:
543:(D. Neb. 1879)
536:
528:
520:
512:
504:
495:
493:
489:
488:
479:
477:
476:
469:
462:
454:
448:
447:
441:
435:
429:
421:
420:External links
418:
417:
416:
409:
406:
401:
398:
395:
394:
375:
363:
349:
348:
346:
343:
342:
341:
332:
315:
298:
277:
276:Selected works
274:
273:
272:
265:
262:
142:
139:
130:
129:
126:
125:
120:
118:Main interests
117:
114:
113:
108:
102:
101:
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
78:
77:
64:
60:
59:
58:(aged 46)
52:
48:
47:
41:
30:
26:
25:
23:Felix S. Cohen
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1218:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1197:
1194:
1192:
1189:
1187:
1184:
1182:
1179:
1177:
1174:
1172:
1169:
1167:
1164:
1162:
1159:
1157:
1154:
1152:
1149:
1148:
1146:
1131:
1128:
1124:
1121:
1120:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1113:Treaty rights
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1098:Seminole Wars
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1066:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1058:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1045:
1042:
1041:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1030:
1027:
1025:
1022:
1020:
1017:
1015:
1012:
1011:
1009:
1005:
999:
996:
994:
991:
987:
984:
983:
982:
979:
978:
976:
974:
969:
965:
958:
955:
952:
949:
946:
943:
940:
937:
934:
931:
928:
925:
922:
919:
916:
913:
910:
907:
904:
901:
898:
895:
892:
889:
886:
883:
880:
877:
874:
871:
868:
865:
862:
859:
856:
853:
850:
847:
844:
841:
838:
835:
832:
829:
826:
823:
820:
817:
816:
814:
810:
804:
801:
800:
796:
795:
791:
788:
787:
782:
781:
777:
774:
773:
769:
766:
765:
761:
758:
757:
753:
750:
749:
745:
742:
741:
737:
734:
733:
729:
726:
725:
721:
718:
717:
716:Duro v. Reina
713:
710:
709:
705:
702:
701:
697:
694:
693:
689:
686:
685:
681:
678:
677:
673:
670:
669:
665:
662:
661:
657:
654:
653:
649:
646:
645:
641:
638:
637:
633:
630:
629:
625:
622:
621:
617:
614:
613:
609:
606:
605:
601:
598:
597:
593:
590:
589:
585:
582:
581:
577:
574:
573:
569:
566:
565:
561:
558:
557:
553:
550:
549:
545:
542:
541:
537:
534:
533:
529:
526:
525:
521:
518:
517:
513:
510:
509:
505:
502:
501:
497:
496:
494:
490:
486:
482:
475:
470:
468:
463:
461:
456:
455:
452:
446:
442:
440:
436:
433:
430:
428:
424:
423:
419:
414:
410:
407:
404:
403:
399:
390:
386:
379:
376:
373:
367:
364:
360:
354:
351:
344:
338:
333:
329:
325:
321:
316:
312:
308:
304:
299:
295:
291:
287:
286:
280:
279:
275:
271:
268:
267:
263:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
229:
227:
222:
218:
214:
209:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
185:
181:
180:Legal Realism
176:
174:
170:
169:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
140:
138:
136:
127:
124:
121:
115:
112:
111:Legal realism
109:
107:
103:
100:
97:
93:
90:
87:
83:
79:
76:
72:
68:
65:
61:
53:
49:
44:
31:
27:
20:
1055:
927:Diminishment
792:
784:
778:
770:
762:
754:
746:
738:
730:
722:
714:
706:
698:
690:
682:
674:
666:
658:
650:
642:
634:
626:
618:
610:
602:
594:
586:
578:
570:
562:
554:
546:
538:
530:
522:
514:
506:
498:
388:
378:
366:
358:
353:
336:
319:
302:
284:
257:
241:
230:
221:antisemitism
216:
210:
188:
183:
177:
166:
144:
134:
133:
56:(1953-10-19)
39:July 3, 1907
1156:1953 deaths
1151:1907 births
1029:Dawes Rolls
812:Legislation
1145:Categories
1103:Survivance
849:Curtis Act
345:References
250:New Mexico
206:Franz Boas
35:1907-07-03
855:Burke Act
843:Dawes Act
147:Manhattan
141:Biography
43:Manhattan
492:Case law
328:60014249
311:75040440
294:42038386
264:See also
194:New Deal
1007:Related
968:Federal
254:Arizona
151:Yonkers
959:(2008)
953:(1990)
947:(1990)
941:(1990)
935:(1988)
929:(1984)
923:(1978)
917:(1978)
911:(1975)
905:(1971)
899:(1968)
893:(1956)
887:(1953)
881:(1940)
875:(1936)
869:(1934)
863:(1924)
857:(1906)
851:(1898)
845:(1887)
839:(1830)
833:(1819)
797:(2022)
789:(2020)
775:(2013)
759:(2005)
751:(2004)
743:(2001)
735:(1997)
727:(1993)
719:(1990)
711:(1989)
703:(1987)
695:(1986)
687:(1985)
679:(1984)
671:(1982)
663:(1978)
655:(1977)
647:(1976)
639:(1974)
631:(1973)
623:(1968)
615:(1960)
607:(1959)
599:(1955)
591:(1941)
583:(1903)
575:(1896)
567:(1896)
559:(1884)
551:(1883)
535:(1858)
527:(1857)
519:(1832)
511:(1831)
503:(1823)
481:Rights
415:(2009)
326:
309:
292:
106:School
95:Region
45:, U.S.
324:LCCN
307:LCCN
290:LCCN
252:and
51:Died
29:Born
970:and
783:and
483:of
192:'s
85:Era
1147::
387:.
208:.
175:.
473:e
466:t
459:v
330:.
313:.
296:.
37:)
33:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.