{"id":10406,"date":"2021-03-01T19:11:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T19:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/ilp\/?p=10406"},"modified":"2021-08-12T00:56:25","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T00:56:25","slug":"progress-power-purpose-patty-ferguson-bohnee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/ilp\/2021\/03\/01\/progress-power-purpose-patty-ferguson-bohnee\/","title":{"rendered":"Progress, Power, Purpose: Patty Ferguson-Bohnee"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Women's History Month<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In celebrating \u201cWomen\u2019s History Month,\u201d we turned to some of the women of the ILP to shed light on Native women legal professionals and advocates in this Progress, Power, Purpose<\/em> series. Indian Legal Program Faculty Director, Indian Legal Clinic Director and Professor of Law at ASU Law Patty Ferguson-Bohnee is of the Pointe-au-Chien tribe from Louisiana. In addition to teaching, this formidable force is most known for her continued work on the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project<\/a>, which did Indian Country a great service in the 2020 presidential election, moving closer to a democracy that honors and values Native voters. While the pandemic was not an ideal circumstance, Native Vote took to digital media by storm with interviews, trainings, presentations, collaborations and most notably, the newly created Polling Locator Tool. Read more in Arizona Native Vote Changemakers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When she’s not leading the charge in Native Vote, Patty is preparing students in her Indian Legal Clinic and promoting diversity and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n

Q: What does your current position entail?
A:<\/strong> I serve as the Director of the Indian Legal Clinic<\/a> and Faculty Director of the Indian Legal Program<\/a> at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU.\u00a0 I am so blessed to be able to work with leading scholars and practitioners in Indian law and Tribal law and motivated students who really care about serving Indian Country.\u00a0 In the Indian Legal Clinic, the students practice under my bar license.\u00a0 We work on matters in tribal, state, federal, and international forums.\u00a0 The cases range from probate, family, criminal and civil litigation, voting rights, code drafting, environment, climate, and status clarification of tribes. My goal is that the students learn useful practical skills and develop a passion for service, while also serving unmet needs for Indian Country.<\/p>\n

Q: Were you always interested in this kind of work?<\/strong>\u00a0
A:<\/strong> I became interested in law when I participated in mock trial in high school.\u00a0 However, I became interested in Indian law as an undergraduate student.\u00a0 I was able to take a Federal Indian Law class as a freshman, and I never looked back.\u00a0

Q: What advice do you have for Native American women who want to work in this area?\u00a0<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> The sky is the limit!\u00a0 Although Native American women are the most underrepresented group in the legal profession, Native American women are doing phenomenal work.\u00a0 Keep in touch with your law school classmates and build a community of support.\u00a0 Join your local Native American Bar Association and the National Native American Bar Association.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: What is your proudest career moment?<\/strong>\u00a0
A:<\/strong> Assisting Four Louisiana Tribes in securing state recognition.\u00a0

Q: Is there anything you’ve learned after graduating law school that you wished you learned in class?\u00a0<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Many law students do not learn that there are three sovereigns\u2014the state, the feds, and tribes.\u00a0 While this might not be harmful in some states, in the southwest, it could lead to malpractice. \u00a0It also means that as Native lawyers and practitioners of tribal law and Federal Indian law, we are always teaching\u2014the judges, opposing counsel, co-workers, clients, and others.\u00a0 At ASU, it is great to have Indian law professors teach first year courses so that they can provide this lens in which to analyze the law.\u00a0 It makes us all better attorneys and advocates.\u00a0 Everyone should learn Indian law basics because it transcends all areas of law.\u00a0

Q: What is the most valuable lesson you learned in the classroom that has helped you in your career?\u00a0<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I took a few practical courses that served me well. One was environmental litigation, which included drafting briefs and an appellate argument.\u00a0 The other was mediation clinic, which taught me to listen and provided me tools to help resolve disagreements.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: Who are three Native American women law professionals and\/or advocates who should be on our radar right now?
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