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For Immediate Release, November 23, 2015
Contact: Linda Benally (623) 308-2329

NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION AND NATIVE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF ARIZONA VISIT ARIZONA LAW SCHOOLS IN SUPPORT OF NNABA FOUNDATION PIPELINE INITITIAVE

Phoenix, AZ – This month, the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) Foundation, in partnership with the Native American Bar Association of Arizona, will continue pipeline work in support of NNABA’s Paths to Inclusion Initiative. President Linda Benally, NNABA Foundation, and Diandra Benally, President of the Native American Bar Association of Arizona (NABA-AZ) visited law schools in the state of Arizona to meet with Native American and interested law students. On November 13, they met with Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) leadership and its members at Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, in Tempe, Arizona. On November 16, 2015, they traveled to Tucson, Arizona and met with NALSA and faculty at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law. On November 23, 2015, the presidents met with interested law students at Arizona Summit Law School in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We appreciate NNABA and NABA-AZ taking the time to come and speak with us and show support for our NALSA chapter,” said Alisa Schmidt, NALSA President, University of Arizona. “NNABA and NABA-AZ seem incredibly active, which is encouraging for us as law students and up and coming lawyers. It’s great to know that we have networks that support us, now and as we become attorneys.” This pipeline to legal profession effort is in support of NNABA’s groundbreaking study entitled, “The Pursuit of Inclusion: An In-Depth Exploration of the Experiences and Perspectives of Native American Attorneys in the Legal Profession,” which was released in April of 2015. NNABA conducted this first-of-its-kind study of Native American attorneys to raise the visibility of Native American attorneys in the legal profession at large, to effectuate lasting reforms in the legal community, and to help build a better pipeline to law school for Native American students and to ensure a successful transition to the legal profession for Native American lawyers.

“The NNABA Foundation is honored to partner with the NABA-AZ to ensure new Native American attorneys grow and progress in the legal profession, whether it be in the top law firms, corporations, or the federal and state judiciary,” said NNABA President Linda Benally. “This joint outreach was the first of its kind in Arizona and a great opportunity for NABA-AZ and NNABA to interface with Native American law students to show our support,” said NABA-AZ President Diandra Benally. “This is a starting point for NABA-AZ and NNABA to further collaborate with Arizona NALSA chapters and Native American law students. It is our hope this joint outreach will continue next year and years thereafter.”

To learn more about The Pursuit of Inclusion: An In-Depth Exploration of the Experiences and Perspectives of Native American Attorneys in the Legal Profession, click HERE.

Established in 2014, the NNABA Foundation works to foster development of Native American lawyers and addressing social, cultural and legal issues affecting American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, through the grant of scholarships to law students, the organization of seminars and conferences on topics of interest to the legal profession, and the preparation and distribution of articles and reports on legal issues.