PLSI's Judicial Clerkship Program

Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives
PLSI Judicial Clerkship HandbookTribal Court Guide

PLSI Judicial Clerkship Workshops Application Now Open!

Join fellow aspiring legal professionals for an immersive program featuring hands-on workshops, resume reviews, mock interviews, insider information on clerk duties and chamber activities, and engaging conversations with Native judges.

Applications are now open for the PLSI Judicial Clerkships Workshops November 6-8, 2025. Applications are due October 3 at 11:59pm MT.

Current American Indian and Alaska Native law students who are enrolled in a J.D. program at an ABA accredited law school.  2Ls are preferred, but interested 1Ls and 3Ls should apply. 

Apply.  Don’t self-select out.  We are significantly increasing the number of spots from previous years.

See application for full details.

2025-2026 PLSI Judicial Clerkship Workshops Application
Application for the PLSI Judicial Clerkship Workshops

Eligibility

Current American Indian and Alaska Native law students who are enrolled in a J.D. program at an ABA accredited law school.  2Ls are preferred, but interested 1Ls and 3Ls should apply. 

Apply.  Don’t self-select out.  We are significantly increasing the number of spots from previous years.

PLSI alumni who are not members of federally recognized tribes should apply.

Important Dates:

September 29, 2025 | Application deadline (calendar it now so you don’t forget).  11:59 p.m. is the cut-off.  Late applications will not be accepted.  Apply early.
October 3, 2025 | The PLSI JCP Committee will make decisions and notify selected students, who will have 3 days to commit.
October 5-10, 2025 | Selected students should review the strict travel reimbursement guidelines and make their own travel arrangements.  Students can submit for travel reimbursements after the program.  AILC will make hotel arrangements and will pair you with another student for double occupancy.
November 6-8, 2025 | PLSI Judicial Clerkship Workshops

PLSI JCP Handbook

The PLSI JCP Committee developed the JCP Handbook for PLSI and non-PLSI Native students interested in judicial clerkships.  It includes a section on tribal court clerkships and appendices that will help you with the application materials.  The Committee requires the same basic application materials as most judges.  Please review the handbook before applying.

What You Need to Apply:

  1. a letter to the PLSI JCP Committee Chair Lydia Locklear at the AILC address, American Indian Law Center, Inc., PO Box 4456, Albuquerque, NM 87196, describing why you want to participate in this program.  Be sure that your letter is in proper business letter format and includes your official ink or electronic signature.
  2. up-to-10-page legal writing sample with a cover sheet that includes the following:

    1. the purpose of the writing sample (was it written for an externship?  summer position? Legal writing class?),
    2. a description of the permission received to use the writing sample,
    3. a statement that no one else has edited the writing sample, and
    4. a statement that names, locations, and dates have been redacted or changed to protect confidentiality (if the facts are real facts that involve real clients).
  3. a resume;
  4. (optional but recommended) a recommendation letter from a law professor or a summer employer for whom you did legal work (ask early);
  5. a transcript with your name, school, and year in school (unofficial is acceptable).  Please send any e-transcripts to jbrynildsen@ailc-inc.org. First year law students can send their PLSI grade letter or undergraduate/graduate transcripts.
  6. proof of tribal membership. To qualify for BIE funding, students must have:
  •   Proof of tribal membership in a federally recognized tribe (need copies of both sides of the unexpired membership card or tribal document); OR
  •   Proof of ¼ blood quantum of a federally recognized tribe; OR
  •   Proof of first descendancy from a member of a federally recognized tribe.  For descendancy, we need copies of both sides of the parent’s unexpired membership card (of a federally recognized tribe) AND a copy of the birth certificate showing that is the student’s parent.
Please spell the name of the institution without acronyms.

Document Upload Section

You must also submit the following documents:

  • Cover letter
  • Writing Sample
  • Resume
  • Letter of recommendation (optional)
  • Law school transcript from your law school identifying you as the student. This can be an unofficial transcript but it must include the name of the school, your name, and the degree program.
  • Proof of membership in a federally recognized tribe. See application instructions.
  • Submit all documents in PDF.

*You must name your files in the following format so we can find your documents: last name.first name.document name.pdf

Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
(PLEASE MAKE SURE THE TRANSCRIPT INCLUDES YOUR NAME, THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL, AND YOUR DEGREE PROGRAM)
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
Proof of membership in a federally recognized tribe. Submit both sides (front and back) of your Tribal ID card, preferably with the entire card (both sides) in the frame. If the card is expired, please contact your tribe or membership office for a letter of explanation and confirmation of membership. CDIB can be acceptable if it has your membership status, name, blood quantum, address of agency, and signature of enrollment officer.

The New Mexico State Bar honored the PLSI Judicial Clerkship Committee with the Outstanding Legal Program Award

The Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives (PLSI) started as an 8-week pre-law program in 1967.  In 2013, a small group of PLSI alumni dedicated themselves to increasing the number of Native American judicial clerks and judges across all judicial benches. Before 2013, the program produced only 6 judicial clerks going back over 45 years since the creation of the PLSI program. The Committee started by discussing their clerkship experiences with students and informing them of the benefits of a judicial clerkship. The first PLSI class to work with the Committee graduated from law school in 2016.  Since 2016, the PLSI Judicial Clerkship Program has produced 40 judicial clerks in 47 state and federal judicial clerkships (some have completed more than one judicial clerkship). This includes clerkships in several U.S. Courts of Appeals, federal district courts, and state supreme courts. This remarkable increase in Native American judicial clerks by 650% in only 9 years can be traced to the Committee’s unwavering commitment to the program and students. 
 
The scope of the committee’s work includes outreach to students through panel presentations at conferences, offering meaningful mentorship opportunities, coaching on clerkship application materials, and funding students to attend professional development workshops. They also developed the PLSI Judicial Clerkship Handbook, a comprehensive guide designed to help students navigate the application and hiring process. The handbook also includes a section on applying for tribal court clerkships. 

While the data speaks for itself (data that reflects a great increase in judicial clerkships for Native American attorneys), it is an honor to be recognized by the State Bar of New Mexico for being an extraordinary law-related organization. But our work is not yet done. We dream of seeing a similar increase in Native Americans who serve on the state and federal benches. Take note: New Mexico has yet to see a Native American serve as a judge for the New Mexico Court of Appeals, Supreme Court, or in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico!

Justice Roshanna K. Toya

JCP Committee Member

Learn more: 

Handbook for Students

All you need to know about how to apply and get a clerkship, including in tribal court

The NEW Tribal Court Guide to Judicial Clerkships is here! The topics in this Guide reflect the results of a survey of tribal court judges and staff across the country by the PLSI Judicial Clerkship Committee and National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA). 

PLSI Judicial Clerkship Program Committee

Alma Buena

Alma Buena

Otomi

Jens W. Camp

Jens W. Camp

Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma

Rodina Cave Parnall

Rodina Cave Parnall

Quechua

Alma Buena (Otomi) is a law clerk for the Honorable David H. Urias at the Federal District Court for the District of New Mexico. Prior to her clerkship, she gained experience at Barnhouse Keegan Solimon & West, a law firm in Albuquerque focused on serving Native communities, tribal, and business interests. Alma holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of New Mexico School of Law. She has been involved with the Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives (PLSI) since 2020, initially as a student and later as a tutor, and currently serves on the PLSI Judicial Clerkship Committee.

Jens Wesley Camp is a recognized descendant of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma.  Jens is closely connected to his family in Indian country and has been deeply inspired by their fight for environmental protection and the civil rights of Tribal Nations and their communities.  He hopes to continue his family’s legacy by serving Indian country as an attorney.

Jens has dedicated himself to serving Tribal communities with his legal career since starting law school at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (ASU Law).  Over his three years at ASU Law, he worked with several local Tribal Nations, such as the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, and national organizations dedicated to serving Tribal communities—primarily, through a summer clerkship with the Native American Rights Fund.  During his last year of law school, he exhibited this dedication to advocating on behalf of Tribal communities at the Indian Legal Clinic at ASU Law, where he logged over 500 hours on top of his other studies.  His commitment to the Indian Legal Clinic and the Tribal communities it serves led to him winning the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award, recognizing an outstanding student in trial advocacy and clinical work.

After graduating law school, Jens served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable David B. Gass at the Arizona Court of Appeals for a one-year term, where he worked on issues affecting Tribal communities in Arizona.  In June of 2022, Jens joined Hobbs Straus, where he continues to serve Indian country.

In his free time, Jens enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, and practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Rodina Cave Parnall (Quechua) is the Executive Director of the American Indian Law Center, Inc., which conducts the Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives.  Rodina served, by Presidential appointment, as Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.  Before that, she practiced law in New Mexico and Arizona representing Indian tribes and tribal entities in legal and administrative proceedings. Previously, Rodina served as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law and associate judge on the Southwest Intertribal Court of Appeals (SWITCA).  She graduated from the Arizona State University College of Law with a Certificate in Indian Law and the 2001 Outstanding Law Graduate Award.  She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Rodina clerked for the Honorable William C. Canby, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Rodina is the recipient of the 2014 New Mexico State Bar Indian Law Section Attorney Achievement Award, the 2025 National Native American Bar Association Justice is Medicine Community Keeper Award, and the 2025 Arizona State Bar Rodney B. Lewis Award for Excellence in Indian Law. 

Timothy Devine

Timothy Devine

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

Joaquin Gallegos

Joaquin Gallegos

Jicarilla Apache Nation/Pueblo of Santa Ana

Kateri Eisenberg

Kateri Eisenberg

Taos Pueblo

Tim Devine is an associate attorney in our Portland, Oregon office. He is a first-generation descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Tim joined Hobbs Straus as an associate in 2024. He previously served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Chief Judge Brian M. Morris, United States District Court for the District of Montana.

Tim received his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. While attending law school, Tim served a term as the elected Public Relations Director of the National Native American Law Students Association. During his law school summers, Tim served as a summer law clerk at Hobbs Straus and as a teaching assistant for the American Indian Law Center’s Pre-Law Summer Institute. Prior to law school, Tim worked in business-to-business communications, in electoral politics, and in the non-profit sector. He also worked as a barista and at an ice cream parlor. He holds a B.A. in History from Harvard College. Tim’s hobbies include playing guitar, learning about history, and hiking.

Joaquin R. Gallegos (Jicarilla Apache Nation/Pueblo of Santa Ana) recently served as a law clerk to Judge Allison H. Eid on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Previously, Joaquin served as a legislative staff attorney to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. He has also served as a legal fellow to former Senator Tom Udall on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and as a policy fellow to former Senator Byron Dorgan at the Aspen Institute. Joaquin graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and the University of Colorado Denver.

Kateri Eisenberg is a staff attorney at the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before becoming a staff attorney, she clerked for now-Chief Justice Thomson on the New Mexico Supreme Court, where she developed a love for working for the judiciary. 

Kateri graduated from University of New Mexico School of Law in 2021, cum laude, and with clinical honors. While in law school, she tutored several classes, worked on the Natural Resources Journal, and served her law school community as NALSA Vice President. Kateri attended PLSI in 2018 and was a teaching assistant for PLSI Advocacy in 2019.

Lydia Locklear

Lydia Locklear

Committee Chair | Lumbee Tribe

Alexander Mallory

Alexander Mallory

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

Doreen McPaul

Doreen McPaul

Navajo (Kinyaa’áanii)

Lydia Locklear is a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe and currently serves as the Deputy Tribal Attorney for the Catawba Nation. Lydia earned her Juris Doctorate with a Certificate in Indigenous Law from Michigan State University College of Law. After graduating, Lydia served tribes at the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs before clerking for the Honorable Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Lydia joined the PLSI Clerkship Committee in 2019 and currently serves as Chair of the Committee. 

Alexander Mallory (Hakikóx Walu Piga—“makes his way”) (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) is an Associate at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.  Before this, Alexander clerked for the Honorable Diane J. Humetewa at the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and for the Honorable Daniel H. Weiss at the U.S. Immigration Court through the Department of Justice Honors Program.  He also clerked for the Honorable Paul Nihoul at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.  He is a 2016 PLSI alumnus.

Doreen N. McPaul (PLSI 1998/TA 1999)  is Navajo (Kinyaa’áanii) from Chinle, Arizona. She is a graduate of Princeton University and earned her Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University College of Law. Ms. McPaul clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals and her work experience includes serving as a tribal court staff attorney, as an associate attorney at a boutique Indian law firm, and as a visiting clinical law professor/Interim Indian Legal Clinic Director. Since 2008, Ms. McPaul has worked as an in-house tribal attorney for several Arizona tribes including serving a term as the Navajo Nation Attorney General. Ms. McPaul currently serves as an Assistant Legislative Attorney for the Tohono O’odham Nation.

Ms. McPaul is a founding board member and President of the Tribal In-House Counsel Association. She also currently serves as the Vice President of  the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Governors, as well as on the Board of Directors for the American Indian Law Center. She was elected to membership in the American Law Institute in 2021.

Most importantly, Ms. McPaul is a proud military spouse and mom. She is married to SFC Mark McPaul (retired) and they have three sons.

Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis

Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis

Pueblo of Isleta and Pueblo of Laguna

Chief Justice Roshanna Toya

Chief Justice Roshanna Toya

Pueblo of Isleta

Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis was appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court by Governor Jay Inslee in December 2019 and took the oath of office on January 6, 2020. Justice Montoya-Lewis is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Pueblo of Laguna, two federally recognized tribes in New Mexico. She is the first enrolled member of any tribe to sit on a state supreme court in the U.S. and the second Native American to sit on a state supreme court. She is also of Jewish descent.

Prior to becoming an Associate Justice, she served as a Superior Court judge for Whatcom County for five years, where she heard criminal and civil trials and presided over the Whatcom County Therapeutic Drug Court. In the 15 years prior to her work on the Superior Court, she served as a tribal court judge for multiple tribes in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest. She served as Chief Judge for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the Lummi Nation. In addition to her work as a tribal court judge, she was a tenured Associate Professor at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College where she taught law-related courses and courses on cultural identity development. She has continued to use her teaching skills as a jurist, teaching a wide variety of audiences including judges, social workers, lawyers, and advocates on implicit bias, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and best practices in child welfare and domestic violence cases. Justice Montoya-Lewis graduated with her BA degree from the University of New Mexico in 1992 and completed her law degree and Master of Social Work degree at the University of Washington in 1995 and 1996 respectively.

Roshanna K. Toya is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta where she was born, raised, and resides today. Roshanna earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico. After graduating law school Roshanna went on to clerk for the New Mexico Court of Appeals and the United States District Court, District of New Mexico, where she was able to work closely with judges to research, analyze and write legal memoranda spanning diverse questions of civil and criminal law. Roshanna’s clerkships were formative experiences in her legal career and created a solid foundation for her current plaintiff’s civil practice, criminal defense, and representing tribes and tribal entities.

Roshanna is also familiar with the internal workings of tribal governments as Roshanna has served her Pueblo as an associate justice for the Isleta Pueblo Appellate Court since 2013. She now serves the Pueblo as the Chief Justice of the Appellate Court. There she presides over cases related to probate, domestic relations, criminal law, employment law, and any other types of disputes that are appealed from the tribal court.

Prior to pursuing a career in law, Roshanna practiced as a social worker, focused on providing direct clinical services to American Indian youth incarcerated in state prisons, and assisting families of court-involved youth to secure community based behavioral health services. Roshanna has also been active for many years in making funding recommendations on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice for grants related to tribal court systems, tribal social services, community oriented policing programs, and more.

Roshanna serves as a member of the PLSI’s Judicial Clerkship Committee and serves as a member of the New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners.