JUNE 2014

Hello, NNABA members:

We hope you are enjoying these e-newsletters. If you have comments or suggestions, we would very much like to hear from you. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Mary Smith
NNABA President, 2013-2015

NNABA APPLAUDS THE HISTORIC CONFIRMATION OF DIANE HUMETEWA TO BE A FEDERAL JUDGE IN ARIZONA

The National Native American Bar Association applauds the historic confirmation of Diane Humetewa to be a district court judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Ms. Humetewa, an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe, is the first Native American woman in the history of our nation to serve on the federal judiciary, and will be the only American Indian serving as an Article III judge in the federal judiciary. Ms. Humetewa was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 96-0. To view NNABA’s press release, click here

STATE DEPARTMENT CONSULTATION ON THE 2014 WORLD CONFERENCE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

On May 9, 2014, NNABA President Mary Smith attended the U.S. Department of State Consultation with Representatives of the U.S. Government, U.S. Federally Recognized Tribes, and NGOs and Other Indigenous Peoples to Discuss Views on the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. Topics included identifying mechanisms to address violence against indigenous women; status of indigenous peoples in the United Nations; the development of natural resources; and working to repatriate sacred and culturally significant items. President Smith urged the swift confirmation of Keith Harper to be U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

BE A SPONSOR OF GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH ON NATIVE AMERICAN ATTORNEYS

NNABA is seeking sponsors of its groundbreaking research on Native American attorneys.

Contribute Here
We seek your support on this groundbreaking study. For more information on the study, click here

For information on how to contribute, click HERE. The net proceeds will be used to fund the Research Initiative. We plan to energize the business and legal communities to further improve the status of Native Americans in the legal profession because it is in the best interest of the profession to do so. We hope you will join us in these efforts with your support.

2014 COLLABORATIVE BAR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY – SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE

Spots are still available for the second annual Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) in Minneapolis, MN, on June 26-28, 2014. The CBLA is a collaborative effort among the American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, National Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association (NNABA), and National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. The CBLA will strengthen the pipeline of diverse bar association leaders through leadership training and professional development programs. The CBLA is intended for up-and-coming bar leaders who have been in practice for 5-15 years.

For more information, click here

If you would like participate, please contact CBLA Steering Committee members, NNABA President Mary Smith at [email protected], or NNABA President-Elect Linda Benally at [email protected].

NEW PROJECT ON YOUTUBE VIDEOS TO HIGHLIGHT NATIVE AMERICAN ATTORNEYS

NNABA is announcing an exciting new project, and we need you! We are beginning to collect some short YouTube videos of Native American attorneys. If you would like to highlight your career or some topic applicable to the legal profession, please record a short (no more than two minutes) video of yourself and send it to us. We will begin posting some of these videos on our website. The purpose of this project is to highlight the incredible Native American attorneys around the country.

Here are some guidelines:

• Videos should be no more than two minutes.

• The following one or more topics can be addressed: (1) why you went to law school; (2) describe your career and your practice; (3) describe one legal matter that you are most proud of or that was memorable; and (4) advice you would give to young Native American attorneys or advice you would give to young Native Americans considering whether to go to law school.

• Alternatively, you can address an important legal issue facing Indian Country, e.g., ICWA, domestic violence, land into trust, voting rights.

• If you have any questions, please e-mail [email protected].

• Send the final videos to [email protected].

JOIN NNABA NOW!

Our Attorney Membership Form and Student Membership Form can be completed online, and are available to download as PDF files for those who prefer to mail in their forms. Benefits of being a NNABA member include weekly access to a variety of new, nationwide job announcements by email and on this site. To join, click here.

The membership year runs from April to April and dues are $75 per year.

NEW! In addition to checks and money orders, NNABA is now able to accept credit card payment for payment of dues.

If you have any questions about membership or experience any difficulty with downloading, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

NNABA PARTNER NEWS

Call for Nominations - 2015 Spirit of Excellence Awards

The American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession is accepting nominations for the 2015 Spirit of Excellence Awards. Nomination materials must be received by the Commission on or before July 18, 2014. For more information and for the application, click here