Category Archives: Alumni

Legal Futures at the Navajo Nation Tuba City Court

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Indian Legal Clinic Director Patty Ferguson-Bohnee serves as a member of the Arizona Supreme Court Commission on Diversity, Equality and Justice. For the past few years, the Committee has hosted Legal Futures for high school students with an interest in the law to provide an opportunity for young students to interact with judges, attorneys, and other legal professionals and learn about the legal profession and pathways to the bench.

This year, it was the first collaboration between the Arizona Supreme Court and a Tribal Nation’s Court to host a “Legal Futures: Setting the Stage for Your Legal Career” in Indian Country. Ferguson-Bohnee with ILP alumni — Michael Bennett (’16), attorney for the Navajo Nation, Kris Beecher (’20), attorney at Dickinson Wright PLLC, Verrin Kewenvoyouma (’04), majority owner and managing partner of Kewenvoyouma Law, PLLC, — traveled to the Navajo Nation and shared their journey to law. Students learned that about different areas of law: government workers to court staff, private business to law firms, and quasi to utilities, water and universities.

From the American Bar Association, 2022

Native Americans are underrepresented within the law but the most affected by the law. Learning opportunities like these events empower, expose and engage Native American high school students. Young adults, whose minds are at a developmental stage in their life, can learn from current Native American professionals, who are also every day relatives and grew up on tribal lands.

Collaborations like these are important and we look forward to hosting more events. We extend our appreciation to the Navajo Nation District Court in Tuba City. Thank you to our awesome ILP alumni crew – Verrin, Kris, and Michael – for spending time with the students. 

Job Opportunity: Civil Rights Attorney

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The Albuquerque, NM office of Rothstein Donatelli LLP is seeking an associate attorney for its civil rights practice group. The Firm is looking for a New Mexico licensed attorney with at least 2 years or more of litigation experience. The candidate should possess a demonstrated commitment to the welfare of individual clients and maintain the highest quality of legal practice, especially legal research and writing skills. The ideal candidate will have experience litigating civil rights cases and/or representing survivors of sexual abuse. The associate must be skilled in managing complex litigation and providing staff direction.

Rothstein Donatelli has offices in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, as well as in Tempe, Arizona. The Rothstein Donatelli LLP practice areas include civil rights and discrimination law, representation of survivors of sexual abuse, criminal defense, complex civil litigation, appeals and post-conviction work, and Indian law. Rothstein Donatelli is committed to social justice and vigorously protecting the rights of its clients.

Rothstein Donatelli LLP provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, sex or gender identity, results of genetic testing, or service in the military. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training. The Firm expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment or discrimination based on any of the characteristics mentioned above. Improper interference with the ability of other employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. The Firm is committed to achieving a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment.

Interested candidates should send a resume, references, and writing sample to Manya Snyder at info@rothsteinlaw.com.

Job Opportunities

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DOJ Indian Country Assistant US Attorney

  • Tulsa, OK – Application Deadline: May 24, 2023 for priority consideration

FCC Office of Native Affairs – Attorney

FCC Office of Native Affairs – Policy Advisor

DOJ Office on Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) – Impact Report

Job Opportunity: Senior Attorney

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Navajo Nation
Office of Navajo Public Defender
Tuba City, AZ

Closing date: Open until filled

Position no: 243284

Duties and responsibilities: Represents clients, adults and juveniles, in criminal and delinquency proceedings in and out of court. Reviews all court and discovery
documents. Interviews clients; provides information on potential outcomes, defenses, potential consequences, federal prosecution; sentence(s) if convicted; deferred prosecution programs, peacemaking, etc. Develop theory of case and prepare pre-trial motions, responses; replies for trial preparation. Interview and/or depose witnesses. Communicate with prosecutor, probation, service providers. Assist client with referrals, appointments for evaluation, etc. Provide guidance and assistance to court advocates as needed. Prepare, file and complete appeals or Writs to Navajo Supreme Court when necessary. Position requires travel to district and family courts throughout the Navajo Nation.

Minimum Qualifications: 

  • A Juris Doctorate; and four (4) years professional experience as a state licensed attorney. Current
    admission in any state bar with the intention of seeking and securing admission to the Navajo
    Nation Bar Association and either the Arizona, New Mexico or Utah State Bar within one (1) year of
    date of hire.

See full job description: Senior Attorney – Tuba City, AZ

More information: Job vacancy announcement

Job Opportunity: Attorney

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Navajo Nation
Office of Navajo Public Defender
Window Rock, AZ

Closing date: Open until filled

Position no: 244832

Duties and responsibilities: Represents clients, adults and juveniles, in criminal and delinquency proceedings in and out of court. Reviews all court and discovery documents. Interviews clients; provides information on potential outcomes, defenses, potential consequences, federal prosecution; sentence(s) if convicted; deferred prosecution programs, peacemaking, etc. Develop theory of case and prepare pretrial motions, responses; replies for trial preparation. Interview and/or depose witnesses. Communicate with prosecutor, probation, service providers. Assist client with referrals, appointments for evaluation, etc. Provide guidance and assistance to court advocates as needed. Prepare, file and complete appeals or Writs to Navajo Supreme Court when necessary. Position requires travel to district and family courts throughout the Navajo Nation.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Juris Doctorate.
  • Current Admission in any state bar with the intention of seeking and securing admission to the Navajo Nation Bar Association and
    either the Arizona, New Mexico or Utah State Bar within one(1) year of date of hire.

See full job description: Attorney

More information: Job vacancy announcement

We rise by lifting others

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On April 4, two ILP alumni were honored in the Native American 40 Under 40 awards. Congratulations to Krystalyn Kinsel (’15) and Alexander Mallory (’19)! The Native American 40 Under 40 awards represent the best and brightest emerging Indian Country leaders who serve in a variety of fields.

ILP directors and alumni traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate this amazing recognition.

We’re so proud of you both!

Spark Indigenous Joy

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The Federal Bar Association Indian Law conference is a unique time when law practitioners and advocates come together and have an in-depth discussions about the future of Indian Country. It is also a time when organizations that serve the same purpose gather to acknowledge and celebrate Indigenous excellence.

ASU Law’s ILP family met at Sandia Resort for its 23rd annual Alumni & Friends Awards Ceremony and Reception. It was a night full of heartfelt messages and success stories to celebrate this year’s award recipients. Rebecca Ross (’10) received the Alumni Service Award and Stephanie Sfiridis (’16) received the Emerging Leader Award.

Six ILP family presented at this year’s Federal Bar Association Indian Law Conference. On day 1, Faculty Associate Paul Spruhan presented on a panel “Protection of Tribal Sovereignty and Self-Determination Before the U.S. Supreme Court,” ILC Director Patty Ferguson-Bohnee and Liz La quen náay Medicine Crow (’05) presented on “Access to the Ballot Box: Protecting Native American Voting Rights.” On day 2, Jacqueline Bisille (’14) and Rani Williams (’18) presented on “Efforts to Address the Intergenerational Impacts of Federal Indian Boarding School Policies,”Sfiridis presented on a panel “Improving the Land into Trust Process and Best Practices for Tribal Realty and Land Use” and Linda Benally (’03) joined colleagues for a discussion about bias and improvement to support Native American women attorneys during the final presentation “Ethics Panel-Elimination of Bias.”

The National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) also held its annual meeting followed by its 50th Anniversary Celebration with ILP alumni serving on the board: Native Vote Fellow Torey Dolan (’19) as director and Sarah Crawford (’19) as secretary. Native Vote Fellow Blair Tarman-Toner (20’) is NNABA’s newly elected Young Lawyer Representative to the American Bar Association. 

Eight ILP students received the NNABA bar scholarship. Congratulations rising grads: Chad Edwards, Ashleigh Fixico, Brittany Habbart, Michael LaValley, Lena Neuner, Ravynn Nothstine, Autumn Shone and Chanel Simon.

Native American legal warriors and trailblazers shared their wisdom from the early days of Indian Law, inclusion disparity and the need to “uplift our law practice,” as said by Thomas Fredericks, first NNABA president. ILC Director Patty Ferguson-Bohnee , Linda Benally (’03) and Diandra Benally (’05) were recognized as past presidents of NNABA. The Honorable Diane Humetewa (’93) is one of the most recognizable faces in Indian Country for being the first Native American woman to sit on the federal bench. During her special address, Judge Humetewa reflected on her historic appointment and how she felt witnessing the confirmation of two Native American women to the federal bench: Judge Lauren King’s appointment in 2021 as Washington’s first Native American federal judge and Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes’ appointment in 2022 as California’s first Native American federal judge. 

“I know that Judge King and Judge Sykes are deeply committed to advancing opportunities for Indigenous law students and lawyers, and they each bring a meaningful voice to their respective district courts on which they sit. And I know through us, we hope that you see that pathways to judicial positions are actually possible.” 

Our Indian Law community is filled with extraordinary advocates who walk with a special vision and purpose, a responsibility that our ancestors tasked us with. We enjoyed seeing everyone and we look forward to elevating the successes of Native American representation in the law. 

Job opportunity: Deputy Attorney General

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Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians
Oakhurst, CA

The position of Deputy Attorney General shall be responsible for protecting all Tribal sovereignty and for providing legal advice and representation to all Tribal officials, agencies, departments, and branches of Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians. The Deputy Attorney General will defend the integrity of the Tribe. The Deputy Attorney General is prohibited from offering individual legal advice or representing individual Tribal Members, but instead serves to protect the rights of all members of the Tribe by administering fair and impartial justice. Maintains confidentiality of all Tribal information.

See full job announcement: Deputy Attorney General

Job opportunities: San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

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The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe whose Reservation and nationally-recognized resort casino are located in Highland, CA. We are excited to announce that our award-winning in-house legal department is hiring! 

Our legal team plays an instrumental role in supporting the tribal government and business entities that sustain the government infrastructure. We are looking for individuals whose pursuit of excellence matches our own high level of expectations. For those candidates, we have several current opportunities to work in a collegial, team-oriented practice that supports one of the most successful Tribal gaming operations in North America as well as Tribal and business leaders pursuing some of the most forward-thinking initiatives and projects in Indian Country. 

Current opportunities include:

  1. Staff Attorney – Government
  2. Staff Attorney – DEER (Development, Entitlements, Environmental, Real Estate)
  3. Legal Operations Specialist
  4. Managing Attorney – Complex Transactions (coming soon)

San Manuel offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package that includes: health and wellness plans, 401(k) matching, discretionary bonuses, and paid time off. If you seek a challenging and rewarding career in a fast-paced, dynamic environment responsible for preserving and protecting the interests of a Tribal government and its various business enterprises, now and into the future, we encourage you to learn more by clicking here. If you have any questions about roles, responsibilities, applications, or any other aspects, please feel free to reach out directly to our Executive Recruiter, Heather Nadeau, at heather.Nadeau@sanmanuel-nsn.gov .