Berger and her brief were mentioned in various outlets as journalists reported on the birthright citizenship arguments at the Supreme Court.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Written by: Gloria Kosir

Bethany Berger, who holds the Allan D. Vestal Chair in Law and is the associate dean for academic affairs, was featured in several national media outlets for her Supreme Court amicus brief in Trump v. Barbara.

NBC News interviewed Berger for its article on President Donald Trump’s administration’s use of Elk v. Wilkins, an 1884 case in which the Supreme Court ruled against a Native American man.

The New York Times and a podcast from Indianz.com also referenced her brief to explain questions related to Native American citizenship in Trump v. Barbara.

Berger is one of the nation’s foremost experts in federal Indian law and a renowned legal author and historian. Her brief with Stanford Law professor Gregory Ablavsky argues that Petitioners misuses federal Indian law to justify limiting birthright citizenship for children of immigrants.