MARCH 2015

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’s GROUNDBREAKING NATIVE AMERICAN ATTORNEY RESEARCH STUDY WILL BE UNVEILED AT THE 2015 FEDERAL BAR INDIAN LAW CONFERENCE

NNABA’s first-of-its-kind research on the status of Native American attorneys will be unveiled during a plenary session at the 2015 Federal Bar Indian Law Conference at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The panel is entitled “Strength in Numbers: Native American Attorneys from Pre-Law to Practice” on Thursday, April 9, 2015 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Panelists include NNABA President Mary Smith; Dr. Arin Reeves, nationally-known and esteemed expert on diversity and inclusive research who lead completion of the study for NNABA; Francine Jaramillo, attorney at the American Indian Law Center; and NNABA YLD representative Makalika Naholowaa. The moderator will be Helen Padilla, Director, American Indian Law Center.

For more information about the 2015 Federal Bar Indian Law Conference and the panel, please click here.

2015 NNABA ANNUAL MEETING SAVE-THE-DATE

Wednesday April 8, 2015
1 PM – 5 PM
Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona
Room: Road Runner C

If you would like to be on the agenda please respond no later than Friday, March 30.

If you have any questions about the upcoming meeting or about NNABA, contact NNABA Administrative Assistant([email protected]) or President Mary Smith ([email protected]).

We look forward to seeing you at the 2015 NNABA Annual Meeting. An agenda will be sent out closer to the meeting date and will also be posted out our website: www.nativeamericanbar.org.

NNABA YOUNG LAWYERS COMMITTEE LAUNCHED

NNABA is excited to announce that a NNABA Young Lawyers Committee has been formed and met for the first time in December 2014. The committee’s purpose is to provide a group within NNABA for young and/or new to practice NNABA lawyers to network and drive programming and initiatives of particular importance to young attorneys. The committee will meet again in-person at the NNABA Annual Meeting on April 8th.

In-person meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2015
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. MT (following NNABA Annual Meeting)
Talking Stick Resort, Room Road Runner C
Scottsdale, Arizona

ELECTION YEAR: RUN FOR NNABA OFFICER AND BOARD POSITIONS

It is election year! Elections for NNABA President-Elect, Secretary and At-Large Directors will take place at the 2015 NNABA Annual Meeting. Please note that President-Elect Linda Benally will assume the presidency at the close of the Annual Meeting. The newly elected NNABA board will also begin their terms at the close of the Annual Meeting. The NNABA treasurer position is appointed by the Board.

Nominations for each position will be made on the floor during the meeting. Each Director will be responsible for leading a NNABA initiative. If you are interested in serving on the NNABA Board of Directors, NNABA will be circulating a list of those who express an interest in the Board to the membership prior to the meeting. To be included in this circulation, please send an e-mail with a short paragraph of interest and one paragraph bio to [email protected] no later than April 1, 2015.

2014 COLLABORATIVE BAR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Applications are now available for the second annual Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) in Minneapolis, MN, on June 25-27, 2015. 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.

Applications must be submitted by 8:00pm EST on April 10, 2015. Participants for the CBLA will be determined by a juried selection process. For full guidelines and more information, click here. Applicants will be asked to submit a brief essay of 250-500 words, a CV/resume, and two letters of recommendation. More information about the program can be found on the CBLA website. Please contact CBLA Steering Committee members, NNABA President Mary Smith at [email protected] or NNABA President-Elect Linda Benally at [email protected].

COALITION OF BAR ASSOCIATIONS OF COLOR (CBAC) ADVOCACY DAY

On March 2 and 3, 2015, NNABA President Mary Smith and NNABA President-Elect Linda Benally will attend the annual Coalition of Bar Associations of Color (CBAC) advocacy day, along with representatives of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, and the National Bar Association. During CBAC, the national bars of color present resolutions and lobby Congress and the Administration on important issues facing their members.

NNABA’s resolutions are (1) To Support Implementation of the Indian Law and Order Commission Recommendations; (2) To Support Implementation of the Task Force on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence Report; (3) To Support Implementation of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and Title IX of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013; and (4) To Increase Native American Representation in the Federal Judiciary.

To view NNABA’s resolutions, click here.

NEWS AND PHOTOS FROM ABA MIDYEAR MEETING

NNABA Delegate Robert Saunooke moderates a panel on VAWA in Indian Country.

Many Native Americans attended the ABA Midyear Meeting including three participants in the Judicial Clerkship program as well as NNABA’s three YLD representatives. President Mary Smith, President-Elect Linda Benally, Immediate Past President Patty Ferguson-Bohnee and NNABA’s ABA Delegate Robert Saunooke attended from NNABA. Robert Saunooke spoke on two panels. The first panel, presented on Friday, February 6, 2015, was entitled “What Lawyers Want Federal Trial Judges to Know: A Candid Dialogue” and the second panel held on Saturday, February 7, 2015, discussed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the tribal pilot projects.

Judicial Clerkship Program story is posted and cross-linked to the video HERE and tweeted HERE.

KEVIN WASHBURN RECEIVES ABA DIVERSITY COMMISSION 2015 SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

NNABA members with Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn.

The American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession honored Kevin Washburn, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., with its 2015 Spirit of Excellence Award for his commitment to racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession. The award was presented during a luncheon ceremony on February 7, 2015, at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Houston. NNABA, along with NABA-DC and UNM Law School, nominated Assistant Secretary Washburn for this honor. NNABA President-Elect Linda Benally introduced Assistant Secretary at the luncheon.

NNABA extends a warm congratulations to Kevin Washburn on this well-deserved honor!

To view and listen to Assistant Secretary Washburn's acceptance speech, with a great personal story, click here.

NNABA CO-SPONSORS TRIBAL LAW AND ORDER RESOLUTION

NNABA President Mary Smith speaks in favor of the ILOC Resolution before the ABA House of Delegates.

On February 9, 2015, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates passed a resolution co-sponsored by the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) to adopt the recommendations in the Indian Law and Order Commission (ILOC) report of November 2013, “A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer,” with the exception of the new circuit court provision contained in Recommendation 1.2. Following passage by the ABA House of Delegations, this resolution is now official ABA policy.

To view the resolution and report, click on the below links:

Adopted as Revised

Final Resolution

Proposed Resolution and Report

NNABA YOUNG LAWYER REPRESENTATIVES SPEAK ON “AFTER THE JD” PANEL AT ABA MIDYEAR MEETING IN HOUSTON

NNABA ABA Young Lawyer Division Representatives, Makalika Naholowaa and Lauren van Schilfgaarde, spoke on a panel at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Houston, on Friday, February 6, 2015, entitled “After the JD” CLE seminar.

The “After the JD” study, conducted by the American Bar Foundation (ABF) has been following a national sample of lawyers who passed the bar in the year 2000, and interviewing participants in 2003, 2007, and 2012. The study examines whether the participants are still satisfied with their decision to become a lawyer, and whether women and minorities are achieving professional success and satisfaction at the same rate as their peers. During the first part of the seminar, ABF Director and co-principal investigator Robert Nelson discussed the survey results. The second part of the seminar included a diverse panel of young attorneys talking about their experiences.

NEW TRIBAL LANDS COMMITTEE MEETING AT ABA MIDYEAR MEETING

Immediate Past President Patty Ferguson-Bohnee leads a discussion during the Tribal Lands Committee meeting.

The ABA Criminal Justice Section now has a Tribal Lands Committee. The Committee’s focus is on criminal justice issues impacting Tribal Lands and Native American communities. NNABA Past President Patty Ferguson-Bohnee co-chairs the Committee along with Affie Ellis. The Committee met at the ABA Midyear meeting on Friday, February 6th. If you are interested in joining the Tribal Lands Committee, please contact Patty Ferguson-Bohnee at [email protected].

PRESIDENT MARY SMITH RUNS FOR ABA SECRETARY

President Mary Smith makes remarks during the Meet-the-Candidate Forum at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Houston.

NNABA President Mary Smith is running unopposed for the position of Secretary of the American Bar Association. If elected during the 2016 ABA Midyear Meeting next year, Ms. Smith will become the first Native American officer in the history of the ABA.

HEIDI NESBITT, PLSI DIRECTOR AND AILC ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, RECEIVES JUSTICE MARY WALTERS AWARD

The Women’s Law Caucus (WLC) at the University of New Mexico School of Law awarded Heidi Nesbitt, the Director of the Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) and Assistant Director of the American Indian Law Center, Inc. (AILC), the 2015 Justice Mary Walters Award on February 27, 2015. The WLC presents the annual award to outstanding women in the New Mexico legal community in honor of former Justice Mary Walters, who was the first woman appointed to the New Mexico Supreme Court. Recipients of the award demonstrate courage, strong ethics, leadership and mentorship in the legal field.

MEMBER PROFILE: PILAR M. THOMAS

Pilar M. Thomas

Ms. Thomas, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, currently serves as of counsel at Lewis Roca Rothgerber in the Regulatory and Government practice group, as well as the Tribal Affairs and Gaming practice group, where she provides strategic legal advice to Indian tribes, tribal utilities, tribal housing authorities and tribal enterprises on tribal energy policy and planning, renewable energy project development and finance, and federal and state energy regulatory, programs and policy efforts. She returned to Lewis Roca Rothgerber in January 2015, after serving four years at the Department of Energy as Deputy Director of the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs and one and a half years at the Department of the Interior as Deputy Solicitor – Indian Affairs, in Washington D.C. Prior to her recent federal service, Ms. Thomas was of counsel at Lewis and Roca, Chief of Staff and Interim Attorney General for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and a trial attorney at the US Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division, Indian Resources Section.

Ms. Thomas received her undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University. She also holds a certificate in direct marketing from DePaul University. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from University of New Mexico School of Law, with a certificate in Indian law. She is a member of the New Mexico chapter of the Order of the Coif.

Ms. Thomas holds memberships in the Federal Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, Native American Bar Association – Arizona, Native American Bar Association – DC, and the Energy Bar Association.

To read more, click here.

JOIN NNABA NOW!

Our Attorney Membership Form and Student Membership Form are available to download as PDF files. 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.

free to contact us at [email protected].

NNABA PARTNER NEWS

MS JD Annual Conference

NNABA is proud to announce Ms. JD's Seventh Annual Conference on Women in Law themed Stronger Together. Ms. JD's Annual Conference is a premiere event for women law students and young lawyers.

Stronger Together will take place March 5-6, 2015 in conjunction with UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, CA.

Stronger Together brings together:

• Young trailblazers from various segments of the legal profession, who have used their creativity and grit to forge their own career paths, and will help you identify steps you can take TODAY to build your career.
• Leaders from Women’s Initiatives and Affinity Groups, will show how, by working together, we can improve the overall culture of the legal profession, as well as individual professional outcomes for lawyers.
• Industry experts who will provide hands on advice on how to submit a clerkship application, draft a non-profit grant proposal, succeed as an associate at a law firm or in private practice, or write and implement a successful business plan, so that you’ll leave with new skills and a plan of action to take your career to the next level.

In addition to a day jam-packed with advice and skill-building from top practitioners, attendees will have the opportunity to network with one another and speak with attorneys from top firms and other local organizations. For attorneys, Ms. JD is seeking CLE credit in California.

School-To-Prison Pipeline in Indian Country Symposium & Town Hall Meeting on March 27

NNABA is co-sponsoring the School-To-Prison Pipeline in Indian Country Symposium & Town Hall Meeting: What are the Problems? What are the Solutions?

March 27, 2015
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Arizona State University
Armstrong Hall – The Great Hall
1100 S. McAllister Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85281

For more information, click here.

Nominations Being Accepted for the 2015 ABA Rosner & Rosner Young Lawyer Professionalism Award

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 ABA Rosner & Rosner Young Lawyer Professionalism Award. Our very own Thomasina Real Bird is the recipient of the 2014 award!

The award recognizes and encourages young lawyers who are dedicated to lawyer professionalism. Please consider a nomination and feel free to share this information with others.

Information about past recipients and 2015 nomination information is available online at http://ambar.org/rosneraward. Nominations are being accepted until March 31, 2015.

ABA Section of International Law 2015 Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The ABA Section of International Law invites you to attend its 2015 Spring Meeting in the beautiful and historic city of Washington, DC from April 28 – May 2, 2015. Join over 1,200 leading attorneys, corporate counsel, government officials, academics and NGO lawyers for four days of networking and programming on the latest international legal and ethics issues. The NNABA is a Cooperating Entity on this event and members can register for the conference at the discounted ABA Section of International Law Member Rates by using the discount code “ICSM0428” on the checkout page of the online registration portal.

The 2015 Spring Meeting will offer you:

• Opportunities to learn from top legal experts and hear from world class speakers including: Bill Browder, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Hermitage Capital Management; International Court of Justice Judge Joan Donoghue; and United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Save on your registration by taking advantage of early bird rates before March 16^th! Registration rates are further discounted for young lawyers (35 years and under), full time government and NGO employees, academics, law students, corporate counsel, solo / small practice and retired attorneys.

Please visit http://ambar.org/ILSpring2015 to register and for more information on programming, hotel accommodations and the latest updates on the 2015 Spring Meeting.