Professor Robert J. Miller’s article “Sovereign Resilience: Reviving Private-Sector Economic Institutions in Indian Country” was published in Brigham Young University Law Review. To review, click here
Job Opportunity – Associate Justice
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Scottsdale, AZ
Closing: 5/17/19 11:59 PM
Definition:
Participates and as required, may preside over criminal, civil and juvenile appeal hearings as part of the SRPMIC Appellate Court. Responsible for the fair and impartial administration of justice pursuant to the judicial powers granted by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) and in ensuring SRPMIC adherence to applicable Federal, Tribal and other relevant laws and ordinances. The Associate Justice is appointed by the Council.
Examples for Tasks:
1. The Associate Justice will sit on an appeals panel to hear cases brought before the Appellate Court. Facilitates and ensures all applicable rules of evidence and other judicial requirements are followed by all parties involved in the tribal court’s decision.
2. As required, monitors timelines for filings of briefs, motions and/or other steps and processes within the Appellate process. Schedules briefings and determines compliance to timelines and time frames of all court procedures.3. Grants or denies requests for extensions, issues an Opinion, Memorandum or Order within established timeframes.
4. Reviews processes, procedures, rulings and other activities including verdicts/final judgments from the trial court along with requests for non-final orders or judgments. Reviews record on appeal as prepared by trial court clerk.5. Reviews briefs, memoranda and other submitted documents to evaluate and determine if applicable rules of evidence and other judicial requirements were followed by all parties involved in the tribal court’s decision.
6. May issue ancillary orders and approve/disapprove Amicus Curiae briefs requested to be filed.7. Performs other job related duties as assigned to maintain and enhance Community Appellate Court operations.
Qualifications:
Education & Experience: The applicant shall meet all the qualifications as set for in Chapter 4, Article 2, 4-32 (2) (a), (b), (d), (e), (h), (i) and (k), as well as Section 4-88(2) of the SRPMIC Code of Ordinances as amended. Such qualifications include:
1. Must be thirty (30) years of age or older;
2. Possessing a two (2) year degree (Associate of Arts, certificate, etc.) or higher preferably in a law related field (e.g., law degree, criminal justice, administration of justice, police science, paralegal) OR having at least three (3) years consecutive bench experience within the past five (5) years of appointment to the bench;3. Must have at least five (5) years of judicial or law-related experience;
4. Preference will be given to candidates who are members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Gila River Indian Community, the Ak-Chin Indian Community or the Tohono O’odham Nation, or other federal recognized tribe.
5. Preference will also be given to candidate with prior tribal court judicial experience.6. Having never been convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction, and having not been convicted of a misdemeanor within five (5) years of the date of the judicial application filed with the SRPMIC Council. A misdemeanor shall be conviction of the type of behavior proscribed in Chapters 6 and 10 and 16-231 through 16-236 of Chapter 16 (Dealing with DWI and Reckless Driving) of the SRPMIC’s Code of Ordinances, whether committed on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community or in another jurisdiction;
7. Be of good moral character, and in determining character, the SRPMIC Council shall consider, among other things, the laws, customs and traditions of the SRPMIC;8. Familiar with the customs and traditions of the Akimel O’odham and Xalychidom Piipaash people and how those customs and traditions can be applied to the matters pending before the Community Court;
9. Serving a one (1) year probationary period;10. Having never been removed for good cause from a judge position in any jurisdiction;
11. Being subject to the SRPMIC Court Rules of Professional Conduct, Section 2 Judicial Rules of Professional conduct and as these rules may be amended.
“SRPMIC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer” Preference will be given to a qualified Community Member, then a qualified Native American and then other qualified candidate.
In order to obtain consideration for Community member/Native American preference, applicant must submit a copy of Tribal Enrollment card or CIB which indicates enrollment in a Federally Recognized Native American Tribe by one of the following methods:1) attach to application2) fax (480) 362-58603) mail or hand deliver to Human Resources.
Applications may be filed online at: http://www.srpmic-nsn.gov/employment
To download full job description, click here.
Applications Being Accepted for Arizona Court of Appeals-Division I Vacancy
AApplications are being accepted for a vacancy on Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals created by the appointment of Judge James P. Beene to the Arizona Supreme Court.
The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments will review applications, interview selected applicants, and recommend at least three nominees for the vacancy to Governor Doug Ducey, who will appoint the new judge.
The most current judicial application form (revised January 2017) can be downloaded at the Judicial Department website: www.azcourts.gov/jnc. Applications may also be obtained from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Human Resources Department, 1501 W. Washington, Suite 221, Phoenix, by calling (602) 452-3311, or by sending an electronic mail request to jnc@courts.az.gov.
Applicants must be of good moral character and admitted to the practice of law in, and a resident of the state of Arizona for the past five years, and a resident of Maricopa County for the past three years.
A signed original application with all attachments, and a searchable .pdf version of the application and attachments must be submitted to the Administrative Office of the Courts, Human Resources Department, 1501 W. Washington, Suite 221, Phoenix, AZ, 85007, by 3:00 p.m. on May 31, 2019.
Eligible applicants who wish to be considered for this vacancy and the vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court DO NOT need to submit two separate applications.
The Commission may, at its discretion, use the applications filed for this vacancy to nominate candidates for any additional vacancies known to the Commission before the screening meeting for this vacancy is held.
All meetings of the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments are open to the public. Meeting dates will be announced.
The new judge will be paid $154,533.75 annually.
Job Opportunity – Associate Judge
Puyallup Tribe of Indians
Closes: 5/17/2019
Serves as hearing judge for the Puyallup Tribal Court in accordance with the tribal Judicial Administrative Code. The term of the Associate Judge shall be three (3) years from the date of appointment by the Tribal Council. A judge may be reappointed at the expiration of a term in the discretion of the Tribal Council.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Hears cases brought before the court or jury, including, but not limited to criminal, civil, fishing, hunting, youth dependency, traffic, housing, gaming, employment and all domestic violence related cases.
- Determines the meaning, interpretation, and application of the Tribal Constitution and laws and, where appropriate, other authorities.
- Issues subpoenas compelling the attendance of witnesses at proceedings.
- Issues search warrants and warrants to apprehend pursuant to the Tribe’s rules governing criminal procedure.
- Determines the amount of bail to be posted.
- Issues any order or writ necessary and proper to the complete exercise of the powers and the general authority of the court, including those necessary to compel compliance with orders of the court and to punish persons for failure to comply.
- Conducts legal research and writing.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Education and/or Experience
Juris Doctorate degree and three years related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Must have excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience in writing a variety of court related documents. Must have knowledge and understanding of courtroom procedures.
How to apply:
Apply online at https://usr55.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/ptoiad
or follow the link on the Puyallup Tribe’s employment page: http://puyallup-tribe.com/employment/.
If you have any questions about the online application, call (253) 573-7863 or email
jobs@puyalluptribe-nsn.gov
To download full job announcement, click here.
Job Opportunities – Yavapai-Apache Nation
Yavapai-Apache Nation
Prosecutor II
Closes: 5/10/2019
The Prosecutor investigates, evaluates and prosecutes juveniles and adults accused of violating the criminal laws of the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The Prosecutor also represents the Nation in dependency and neglect proceedings, including Indian Child Welfare proceedings, before tribal and state courts. The Prosecutor will perform the duties and responsibilities of the position in an ethical manner and assure that justice is upheld according to the laws and custom of the Yavapai-Apache Nation. Download full job description here.
Associate Justice of the Appellate Court
Closes: 5/10/2019
The Court System of the Yavapai-Apache Nation is a two-tiered court system consisting of trial and appellate courts. The government of the Nation is operated in accordance with a Constitution and Laws. The Associate Justice will be appointed to a two-year term of office and may be re-appointed upon re-application. Download full job description here.
How to apply:
Please submit your resume and application to:
Yavapai-Apache Nation / Human Resources
2400 W. Datsi / Camp Verde, AZ 86322
P: 928-567-1062 / Fax: 928-567-1064
www.yavapai-apache.org
Job Opportunities – Navajo Nation
Staff Attorney, Chinle Judicial District, Chinle AZ. This position provides complex legal advice and guidance, conducts legal research, and drafts legal documents in support of judges and other court staff. For more information, please see the position description or to apply, visit http://www.navajocourts.org/vacancies. This position is open until filled.
Associate Attorney, Supreme Court of the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ. This position provides a variety of legal advice, research and related legal services in support of the overall operation of the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch; assists with judicial administrative functions, such as researching and recommending policy changes and improvements for overall Judicial Branch. For more information, please see the position description or to apply, visit http://www.navajocourts.org. This position is open until filled.
Court Solicitor, Supreme Court of the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ. This position provides a variety of legal advice, counseling, research and related legal services in support of the overall operation of the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch; assists with judicial administrative functions, such as recommending policy changes and improvements for overall Judicial Branch; shall supervise and oversee all licensed attorneys, law clerk, hearing officers, supreme court clerk, and law clerk interns of the Judicial Branch. For more information, please see the position description or to apply, visit http://www.navajocourts.org. This position is open until filled.
District Court Judge, Judicial District Court, Navajo Nation Wide. The District Court Judge is responsible in presiding over civil, criminal and family court cases; provides policy direction and guidance in the operation of the Judicial District. For more information, please see the position description or to apply, visit http://www.navajocourts.org. This position is open until filled.
Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ. This position shall perform work of unusual difficulty, hear arguments, read briefs and conduct research necessary to pass judgment and issue rulings on cases brought before the Navajo Nation Supreme Court. For more information, please see the position description or to apply, visit http://www.navajocourts.org. This position is open until filled.
Job Opportunity – General Counsel
Havasupai Tribe
Flagstaff, AZ
Application closes: May 15, 2019
Job Summary:
The General Counsel is the principal legal counsel of the Havasupai Tribe and reports directly to the Havasupai Tribal Council. The General Counsel provides professional legal counsel and representation to the Havasupai Tribal government as indicated by the Tribal Council. The General Counsel works closely and independently with the Tribal Council and the Tribal Government staff. Finally, the General Counsel assists the Tribal Council in managing the work of the Tribe’s outside legal counsel.
The Havasupai Tribe has a remote office in Flagstaff, Arizona for professional staff.
- The General Counsel shall focus legal representation and work for the Havasupai Tribe on the following priority areas and issues:
• Tribal Council procedures and day-to-day management of the tribal governmental affairs and operation of tribal enterprises including personnel matters.
• Legal assistance to managers of tribal programs including housing, health care services, education, social services, elderly services, environmental programs, natural resources, facilities management, and other programs funded by the Tribe and by federal and state - Advises and represents the Tribe in civil liability matters that the Havasupai may become a party to in Tribal and Federal Court.
- Supervises the Tribe’s outside/contract attorneys, to help achieve successful completion of their assigned work.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Knowledge of the Havasupai Tribe.
- Must have at least three years of experience working with Tribal Governments.
- Must be an attorney in good standing with a state bar association in the United States without any disbarments.
- Must possess knowledge of Tribal, State, and Federal law, including administrative procedures.
- Must be able to effectively represent the Tribe in tribal court.
- Must pass pre-employment drug and health screening.
- Must have demonstrated ability to maintain satisfactory working record in any prior or current employment and the ability to work independently with self-direction and effective time management.
- Ability to reach
Application Procedures:
Submit a letter of interest and resume or curriculum vitae to Zach Stevens. zstevens@mvicklaw.com
- Provide at least 3 professional references and contact information for each.
- Provide law school transcripts.
- Provide a writing sample of at least 1,000 words from a document prepared in the course of regular work in the past year with confidential information redacted.
- Be available for an in-person interview in Supai on the Havasupai Reservation.
To download job announcement, click here.
Where are they now? LynDee Wells (’89)
LynDee Wells (’89, Gros Ventre/Chippewa) works as a tribal attorney for the Suquamish Tribe, a position she has held for eight years.
“This part of my journey has been extremely satisfying – I am excited to come to work each day, truly enjoy everyone that I work with and for, and feel that I’ve made a contribution,” Wells said. “But I’m 67 years old now, thinking it might be time to slow down a bit!”
After retiring in 2010, Wells was invited to work on a one-year project for Suquamish, which moved all Suquamish’s fee lands into trust status.
“We successfully returned over 35% of the reservation to tribal trust and continue to acquire and repatriate the Suquamish people’s homeland,” Wells said. “Instead of a one-year project, I’ve now been here eight years working on ‘nation building’ projects.”
After Wells graduated from the ILP in 1989, she clerked for Chief Justice Frank Gordon with the Arizona Supreme Court. From 1990 to 2011, she worked in private practice representing tribal governments and entities doing business with tribes. First, she worked with Winthrop and Stimson as an associate in their D.C. offices. She then with Dorsey & Whitney as a partner.
“The issues I worked on were very diverse — from helping the Elwha Tribe secure legislation that resulted in the successful removal of two dams that had blocked 72 miles of salmon habitat, to helping finance large economic development projects for tribal governments,” Wells said. “When I decided to go to law school, I thought I’d be working on treaty-related issues. I never dreamed that I would be working on multimillion-dollar economic development projects!”
Wells now lives in Washington with nine family members in the house she built in Suquamish last year. She has raised three children and two grandchildren throughout her career.
“It is difficult to remember to strike that work-life balance, but it is worth it,” Wells said.
Q: What is the most valuable lesson you learned in the classroom that has helped you in your career?
A: Analytical and critical thinking and getting outside my comfort zone. Law school was the first time I had any experience outside of Indian Country. Classroom experiences were scary at first — first semester I thought I’d been hit with the stupid stick because all of my classmates were so smart! I had to learn to be more assertive and engage with others who had life experiences so different from mine. Several professors were instrumental in this learning — Professors Michal and Rebecca Birch, Professor Charles Calleros, many, many others and especially Dean Paul Bender.
Q:Is there anything you’ve learned after graduating that you wished you learned in class?
A: Of course learning and applying what you’ve learned are two very different animals. I think the grounding in solid legal writing and analysis are the most important tools I learned in law school. The substantive elements of the practice of law learned in the classroom are of course important (thank you Professor Calleros for the starting blocks underlying my ability to practice contract law), but I believe the practice of law is often learn as you grow.
Q: What is your advice for current students?
A: Don’t start your career working for your own tribe. Get as many diverse experiences as you can and bring that knowledge home.
ILP Professors & their Tribal Ties
We are so much stronger when we know effective work is being done so close to home and our ILP faculty are truly instrumental in their work and with their tribes.
Professor Patty Ferguson-Bohnee (Pointe-au-Chien) has been advocating for her tribe to be
federally recognized for years.
Beside the 573 federally recognized tribes, Pointe-au-Chien is one of the
nearly 300 who have not been permitted that status according to federal
criteria. Federal recognition allows for self-government and other permits that
are restricted from federally unrecognized tribes.
Ferguson-Bohnee is featured in an MSNBC video that discusses the need for
tribal recognition, which Pointe-au-Chien has been pursuing for over 20 years.
Watch the full video here.
In The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma: Resilience through Adversity, Professor
Robert Miller (Eastern Shawnee) wrote the chapter, “Tribal, Federal, and
State Laws Impacting the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, 1812 to 1945,” in which he
discussed the legal and constitutional history of his tribe.
Despite the distinct laws that separated the Eastern Shawnee Tribe into at
least five separate nations in the 18th century, the Mixed Band of Senecas and
Shawnees “operated under established governmental leaders, laws, governing
mechanisms and traditional practices” in the early 19th century.
While going through the history when the U.S. government began to take over,
Miller notes every important legal development and act made by the tribal
governments and the federal government that has been recorded.
“The Eastern Shawnee Tribe has governed itself and its people since time
immemorial,” Miller said in his chapter. “The Eastern Shawnee people are
citizens of three political entities: the United States, the states in which
they are domiciled and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe. The Eastern Shawnee nation
continues today to exercise its inherent sovereign powers and to govern its
territory, its citizens and all who enter its jurisdiction.”
Professor Trevor Reed (Hopi) has conducted extensive research about his tribe’s
struggle to reclaim culture from museums, archives, universities, government
institutions, and more.
In his upcoming publication Reclaiming Ownership of
the Indigenous Voice: The Hopi Music Repatriation Project in the Oxford
Handbook of Musical Repatriation, Reed discusses his efforts to
reclaim Hopi ceremonial song recordings and their associated intellectual
property rights back to the Hopi Tribe.
In his repatriation work, he poses the following
questions: “is repatriation best conceived through an appeal to
property principles, or are there other principles of ownership and circulation
on which repatriation might be more effectively based? And, if Indigenous
principles should be the basis for the ownership and circulation of the
archived Indigenous voice, to what extent should repatriating institutions be engaged
in Indigenous “community politics” as part of their repatriation efforts?”
More on this publication will be coming soon.
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Miranda Cyr
Communications Aide, Indian Legal Program, ASU Law
ILP Alumni with Concurrent Degrees
Law school is tough enough, why pursue joint degrees? Will this serve Indian Country? Again, we asked our alumni.
- Robert A. Rosette (’96), Partner and founder of Rosette, LLP
- Marlene Ray (’97), business manager and philanthropist
- Perry Riggs (’98), Deputy Executive Director, Navajo Nation Washington Office
- Theresa Rosier (’98), Deputy General Counsel, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
- Verrin Kewenvoyouma (’04), attorney, business advisor, and owner of Kewenvoyouma Law, PLLC
- Courtney Monteiro (’06), Senior Vice President, Sovereign Finance, LLC
- Bartley Harris (’08), Attorney, Four Rivers Indian Legal Services
- Kris Beecher (2L), student and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Navajo Housing Authority
What is your current occupation and how long have you held that position?
Theresa Rosier: Deputy General Counsel, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Marlene Ray: Currently, along with managing two family businesses, my focus has been on philanthropy and volunteering which has included tutoring/mentoring Native American high school students and managing the Ray Jones Scholarship Fund benefiting California Indians pursuing postsecondary higher education. It is a great honor and privilege to be able to encourage and assist young Native people pursuing higher education either in college or trade, planting seeds for generation after generation benefiting their families, their communities and all Native peoples.
Verrin Kewenvoyouma: I am an attorney, business advisor, and owner of Kewenvoyouma Law, PLLC. We are a boutique law firm which provides legal and business counsel to Indian tribes and their enterprises, primarily in the areas of corporate transactions. I have been the sole and managing partner of our firm for nine years. Prior to that, I briefly worked for another boutique law firm, KPMG, and a large national bank doing commercial finance.
Kris Beecher: I am currently a JD/MBA law student starting my last year of law school in the fall of 2019. Additionally, I also serve as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Navajo Housing Authority, a position I have held since July 2017.
How have your concurrent MBA and JD degrees affected your career? Do you wish you had chosen a different field?
Theresa Rosier: The dual JD/MBA degree was an extremely helpful degree to obtain prior to starting my career. The additional exposure that I had at the WP Carey School of Business has helped me in the following ways: 1) I am very comfortable with public speaking, and I always credit that the my MBA training, 2) I work in the area of Indian economic development, and the MBA helps me work through the business side of the transactions, even though I am acting in an attorney capacity, and 3) the MBA program’s emphasis on team work has helped me shepherd large projects and manage staff in an effective manner.
Marlene Ray: As the first member of my Tribe (Table Mountain Rancheria) to graduate from college (Stanford University) and then to pursue a professional degree, I decided to pursue a joint JD/MBA degree because of the legal issues and business interests that Tribes encounter and knowing in some way I would be representing and advocating for Native peoples or businesses in my career and personal life. At the time, I thought a business degree would complement and enhance my participation in the Indian Legal Program and my interest in environmental and natural resources law, a decision that was proven true for me.
After graduation from law school, I returned to Alaska to work on an environmental case in the legal department at BP Exploration (Alaska), a company I had worked for during college summers. My focus in law school in environmental and natural resources law were a great foundation for my work and interests in Alaska. From Alaska, I moved to Portland, Oregon, to pursue an L.L.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law at Lewis and Clark Law School. Although I did not finish the program, I gained greater knowledge of the natural resources issues facing Tribes in the northwest as well as a new perspective on the economic, historical and legal context of Tribes in the northwest. Upon returning to California, I was elected onto my Tribe’s board of directors at our casino, an experience that engaged the knowledge I had garnered from law school and business school as well as my previous work.
Verrin Kewenvoyouma: While law school and experience can train you to become a good lawyer, neither legal experience nor law school train you to be a good business person. My MBA has been instrumental for me to not only manage my own firm, but to provide fully competent business advice to my clients. My joint degrees have paid off ten-fold: I have been able to raise my family (and extended family), doing the job I love, and now have opportunities to create opportunity within my own community and the communities within which I work. In short, my own career has been a means to an ends to create opportunity not only for myself, but to empower others as well. When you combine business and legal experience it is not zero sum game: you will find ways to create value for your clients and the people with whom they do business.
Kris Beecher: While working on these degrees I have had the benefit of taking certain aspects of what I have learned in both disciplines and applying them in near real-time to my duties as a commissioner. I do not believe that I could have picked a better match as far as my education and the direction of my career.
In what ways do you use your knowledge of law in your career and everyday life?
Theresa Rosier: I am an attorney and work with the law every day. I often say, that I am professional problem solver. Most of my day is working across the table with experts from various fields who all are working towards a common goal/result. We have to work together to get that project or goal done for the client.
Marlene Ray: Throughout the years, all of my professional and personal experiences have in some way been enriched and informed by the degrees I earned at Stanford University, ASU Law and ASU W.P. Carey School of Business as well as by the people, mentors, classmates and colleagues I’ve met as a result of attending college, law school and business school. As I mentor young Native students either getting ready to begin college or considering a post-graduate degree, I encourage them to consider their vast array of options, research different programs and schools, talk with current students in the program or school they’re considering, visit the program in action, figure out a budget, know there are people and resources to help them, and most importantly, to believe in themselves that their heart’s desire is important, worthy and possible.
Verrin Kewenvoyouma: A wise lawyer once told me, “you can not become a good business and transaction lawyer unless you’ve done some litigation in those areas as well.” Even in scenarios where all parties have the best of intentions, as lawyers, we are trained to see the world in the most challenging ways and draft to those situations. Indeed, in litigation contract matters I have seen those situations come to life. While we can’t move through the world walking on egg shells, I’ve found that no matter the scenario, business, law, or otherwise, if you approach a situation recognizing all foreseeable options, very importantly, the solutions as well, you’ll be well prepared for anything. In short, think of all the challenges and benefits of your decisions, and be prepared.
Kris Beecher: Whether I am working on projects as a commissioner or advocating for issues that I care about, my knowledge of the law informs my decisions and the way I approach potential situations. With a background in both business and law, I have a much broader range of understanding of why and how people and businesses make the decisions they do.
Would you recommend a law degree or concurrent degrees to prospective students? What would you say to a student considering earning these degrees?
Theresa Rosier: I ask people what they really want to do, if they tell me that they want to be a prosecutor, litigator, tax attorney, etc., then, I recommend that they only attend the law school. If people talk about promoting business in underserved communities, working with non-profits, or they are more open minded in their professional goals, I recommend that they explore either the joint degree or the MBA degree (without the legal degree). The MBA program at ASU is fantastic, and can open so many doors to people. If you want to be a litigator, the MBA program doesn’t add a lot of value. If you want to work in an in-house setting or in the commercial transaction setting, the MBA is extremely helpful.M
Verrin Kewenvoyouma: I highly recommend the joint JD and MBA program for anyone who may be pursuing a career in business, business law, or seeks to manage a firm. While I can attach a price tag to the one extra year I spent in grad school to earn my MBA, the value has been immeasurable and continues to pay off. I would also be happy to speak to any student who may be considering these degrees.
Kris Beecher: I would absolutely recommend any prospective JD student to consider any of the concurrent degrees available at their school. A great way to set yourself apart from the rest of the law students you will be graduating with is earning a concurrent degree. Having a broader background of education would only be an asset moving forward.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Verrin Kewenvoyouma: Much of law school is structured on the individual, and that make sense: you are the only one who has to take the LSAT and pass the bar exam. The analytical skills you learn have to be developed on an individual basis. However, in business school, much like life and in a law practice, there is definitely much more comradery and team orientated projects. You quickly learn how to leverage your own strengths and weaknesses to work with other people for the best outcome of your collective colleagues and clients. I think the experience of both programs creates a good contrast of what you should experience in life after school and in practice. Along those lines, the relationships I made in both programs, and especially in the ILP, I still value very much today. On a daily basis I work with folks who were graduates of the program, and today, in fact, I’ve spoken to no less than four ASU ILP grads on varying matters.
Kris Beecher: If I could go back and do it all over again, I would make the exact same decision to pursue a JD/MBA. In fact, I would probably advocate harder for more of my colleagues in law school to pursue the MBA component.
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Miranda Cyr
Communications Aide, Indian Legal Program, ASU Law