Law School Recruitment
Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Students often ask where they should apply to law school. Do your own research for schools that might be a good fit for you, but you also might want to consider schools on the list below. The following law schools have recruited through our program and are particularly interested in receiving applications from Native Americans. Be sure to indicate that you are Native American when you call or write. This list is provided as a starting point only.
Because many students are interested in Indian Law courses, we have noted each school’s Indian Law offerings:
- “Indian Law Program” denotes more than three regularly offered courses and either an Indian Law Clinic or another Native-oriented program.
- “Certificate” means that the law school has a special Indian Law curriculum which awards a certificate of specialty along with the Juris Doctorate. The University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and the University of Tulsa each offer an LLM (a Master’s degree after completing a JD) in a variety of Indian Law-related concentrations, and the University of Arizona offers an SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) in Indigenous Law.
- “Indian Law Classes” typically means that a few courses are offered, but a more extensive program is not in place. However, each school has specialties which go beyond their Indian Law offerings.
If you have more questions after reading through the information provided here, please do not hesitate to contact us at (505) 277-5462 or AILCinfo@law.unm.edu.
Arizona
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law - Tucson, Arizona
- Indian Law Program (JD Certificate, LLM, SJD, and Master’s in Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy)
- Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program
- Contacts:
- Robert A. Williams, Jr., Faculty Chair, Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program: (520) 621-5622
-
Faith Liston, Program Specialist, Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program: (520) 621-1166
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law - Phoenix, Arizona
- Indian Law Program (JD Certificate, L.L.M. in Tribal Policy, Law & Government, Masters in Legal Studies (Indian Law emphasis); Indian Legal Program
- Contacts:
- Kathlene Rosier, Director, ILP
(480) 965-6204 - Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, asulaw.admissions@asu.edu, (480) 965-1474.
- Kathlene Rosier, Director, ILP
California
University of California-Berkeley - Berkeley, California
- Indian Law Classes
- Contact:
- Kristin Theis-Alvarez, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
- Joseph Lindsay, Assistant Director of Admissions: (510) 642-2274
- Office of Admissions, admissions@law.berkeley.edu
- Seth Davis, Professor of Law
- Sonia Katyal, Chancellor’s Professor of Law, Co-Director of Berkeley Center for Law & Technology
- Contact:
University of California-Los Angeles School of Law - Los Angeles, California
- Indian Law Program and a Joint Degree Program in Law and American Indian Studies
- Contacts:
- Robert Schwartz, Assistant Dean/Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid: (301) 825-2080
- Angela Riley, Professor of Law; Director, MA/JD Joint Degree Program in Law and American Indian Studies; Director, Native Nations Law and Policy Center
- Contacts:
Colorado
University of Colorado Law School - Boulder, Colorado
- Indian Law Program
- Contact: Kristin A. Carpenter, Council Tree Professor of Law and Director of the American Indian Law Program, (303) 492-6526
University of Denver Sturm College of Law - Denver, Colorado
- Indian Law Classes
- Contact: Iain Davis, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Management: (303) 871-6128
Idaho
University of Idaho College of Law - Moscow, Idaho & Boise, Idaho
- Native American Law Emphasis & Program
- Contacts:
- Renee Harrison, Director of Admissions, Moscow, Idaho: (208) 885-2300
- Vanessa Montoya, Associate Director of Admissions, Boise, Idaho, (208) 364-9931
Iowa
University of Iowa College of Law - Iowa City, Iowa
- Contacts:
- Collins Byrd, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, (319) 335-9095
- Jan Barnes, Admissions Coordinator, (319) 335-9095
Kansas
University of Kansas School of Law - Lawrence, Kansas
- Indian Law Program, Clinic & Certificate Programs, Tribal Law & Government Center
- Contact:
- Admissions: admitlaw@ku.edu, (785) 864-4378
- Shawn Watts, Director of Tribal Law & Government Center: (785) 864-4513
Washburn University School of Law - Topeka, Kansas
- Indian Law Classes & Tribal Court Practice Clinic
- Contact:
- Preston Nicholson, Assistant Dean for Admissions (785) 670-1706
Michigan
Michigan State University College of Law - East Lansing, Michigan
- Indian Law Classes, Certificate and Clinic
- Professors: Wenona T. Singel
- Clinician & Staff Attorney: Kathryn E. Fort
- Legal Counselor: Cassondra Church, Legal Counselor, (517) 432-6922
- Admissions: Kimberly Wilkes, Assistant Director of Admissions, (517) 432-6826
- Turtle Talk
University of Michigan Law - Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Indian Law Classes
- Sarah C. Zearfoss, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, (734) 764-0537
-
Professors
Professor Timothy Connors
Professor Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Professor Kaighn Smith
-
Courses
Legal Issues in Tribal Economic Development
Peacemaking in State Court Justice Systems
-
Student Organizations
Minnesota
Mitchell Hamline School of Law - St. Paul, Minnesota
- Native American Law and Sovereignty (NALS) Institute
-
Native American Law and Sovereignty Certificate, Clinic and Courses
-
Online Blended program and in-person available
-
-
Contact:
-
Angelique EagleWoman, Professor and Director of NALS Institute, (651) 290-6438
-
Missouri
Washington University Law - St. Louis, Missouri
- Indian Law Classes
- Contact:
- Katherine Scannell, Associate Dean of Admissions & Placement: (314) 935-3384
Montana
University of Montana - Alexander Blewett III School of Law - Missoula, Montana
- Indian Law Certificate Program
- Summer Indian Law Program
- Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic
- Contact:
- Alicia Miles, Director of Admissions
- Admissions: lawadmissions@mso.umt.edu, (406) 243-6169
New Mexico
University of New Mexico School of Law - Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Indian Law Program & Certificate
- Contacts:
- John LaVelle, Professor of Law and Director of the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program: (505) 277-0951
- Renée Ferrell, JD, Director of Admissions: (505) 277-0959
- Admissions: (505) 277-0958
New York
Cornell University Law School - Ithaca, New York
- Indian Law Classes
- Contact: Monica Ingram, Dean of Admissions: (607) 255-5141
North Dakota
University of North Dakota School of Law - Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Indian Law Program & Certificate
- Contact: Jim Grijalva, Director and Professor, (701) 777-2227
- Northern Plains Indian Law Center
- Contact: Jim Grijalva, Director and Professor, (701) 777-2227
- Tribal Judicial Institute
- Contact: B.J. Jones, Director, (701) 777-6176
- Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy
- Contact: Kathryn Rand, Director, Dean, and Professor, (701) 777-3262
- Tribal Environmental Law Project
- Contact: Jim Grijalva, Director and Professor, (701) 777-2227
- Admissions and Records
- Contact: Aleisha Lokken, Director, (701) 777-2260
Oklahoma
University of Tulsa College of Law - Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Indian Law Program, Certificate & L.L.M.
- Contacts:
- April Fox, Associate Dean & Director of Admissions and Financial Aid: (918) 631-2709
- Professors & Co-Directors: University of Tulsa Native American Law Center
- Elizabeth McCormick, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs: (918) 631-5796
Oregon
Lewis & Clark Law School - Portland, Oregon
- Indian Law Program
- Contact:
- Carma Corcoran, Indian Law Program Coordinator: (503) 768-6740
University of Oregon School of Law - Eugene, Oregon
- Indian Law Program
- Contacts:
- Sarah Keiski, Assistant Dean of Admissions: (541) 346-3846
- Mary Wood, Philip H. Knight Professor, Faculty Director, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center: (541) 346-3842
- Howard Arnett, Professor of Practice, Partner, Karnopp Petersen LLP (Bend, Oregon): (541) 382-3011
South Dakota
University of South Dakota School of Law - Vermillion, South Dakota
- Indian Law Program
- Contacts:
- Katey Ulrich, Director of Admissions & Marketing: (605) 658 – 3506
-
Ann E. Tweedy, Indian Law Professor: (605) 658-3534
Utah
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law - Salt Lake City, Utah
- Indian Law Classes
- Contacts:
- Reyes Aguilar, Associate Dean for Admissions & Financial Aid: (801) 581-6563
- Alexander Tallchief Skibine, S.J. Quinney Endowed Professor of Law: (801) 581-4177
Washington
Gonzaga University School of Law - Spokane, Washington
- Indian Law Classes and Clinic
- Contact: Luke Cairney, Director of Admissions: (509) 313-5532
- Sierra Bryceson, Assistant Director of Admissions: (509) 313-5532
Seattle University School of Law - Seattle, Washington
- Indian Law Classes and Center for Indian Law and Policy
- Contact:
- Brooke Pinkham, Staff Director, Center for Indian Law and Policy: (206) 398-4084
University of Washington School of Law - Seattle, Washington
- Indian Law Program
- Contacts:
- Robert Anderson, Professor Emeritus of Law: (206) 685-2861,
- TBA, Director, University of Washington Native American Law Center: (206) 685-3917
- Cristina Arteaga, Assistant Dean for Admissions & Financial Aid: (206) 616-1681
- UW Admissions Office: (206) 543-4078.
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Law School - Madison, Wisconsin
- Indian Law Classes & Clinic
- Contact:
- Rebecca Scheller, Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid: (608) 262-1815
- Admissions: admissions@law.wisc.edu