JANUARY 2014

Hello, NNABA members:

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone health, prosperity and success in 2014.

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 adminassistant@nativeamericanbar.org.

Sincerely,

Mary Smith
NNABA President, 2013-2015

NNABA's Exciting New Project: Native American Attorney Research Initiative

Did you know that the legal profession has never formally studied the perceptions, experiences and career trajectories of Native American attorneys? We want to change that, and invite you to be a part of the first-of-its-kind study of Native American attorneys across the legal profession.

To enhance the full understanding and inclusion of Native American attorneys, we are embarking on an exciting new project: a comprehensive research project on Native American attorneys that examines their perspectives, experiences, and career trajectories.

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.

If you have questions, please contact the National Native American Bar Association at either adminassistant@nativeamericanbar.org or executivedirector@nativeamericanbar.org.

NNABA Holds Annual Strategic Planning Meeting in Phoenix

On Saturday, December 7, 2013, the NNABA Board held its annual strategic planning meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. At the meeting, the Board set strategic priorities for the upcoming bar year. Thanks to President-Elect Linda Benally for hosting the retreat and to Arizona Public Service for sponsoring the retreat.

NNABA Applauds the Creation of Attorney General’s Indian Country Fellowship

On November 29, 2013, the National Native American Bar Association applauded the creation of a new component of the Attorney General’s Honors Program – known as the Attorney General’s Indian Country Fellowship. The Indian Country Fellowship was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder at the White House Tribal Nations Conference on November 13, 2013. Under the new Indian Country Fellowship, highly-qualified law school graduates will have the chance to spend three years working on Indian Country cases– primarily in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, but also with opportunities to be detailed to the offices of tribal prosecutors. This will create a new pipeline of legal talent with expertise and deep experience in federal Indian law, tribal law, and Indian Country issues. And it will help to build capacity, combat violent crime, and bolster public safety. To see Attorney General Holder’s remarks announcing the Indian Country Fellowship, click here

To see NNABA’s letter to the Attorney General, click here.

NALSA Career Fair

The 2014 National Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) Career Fair is taking place March 1, 2014, on the campus of University of Oklahoma's law school, coinciding with the 2014 National Indian Law Moot Court competition. NALSA is still accepting employers for the career fair. If interested or if you have questions, please contact NNALSA National Liaison Jeff Cormell, at nnalsa.liaison@gmail.com.

NNABA Urges its Members to Apply for an ABA Presidential Appointment

ABA President-Elect William Hubbard is currently in the process of filling vacancies on ABA Standing and Special Committees, Commissions, Working Groups, Task Forces, and other ABA entities for the 2014-2015 Association year. NNABA encourages its members to apply for these Presidential appointments and will provide recommendations upon request.

You must apply for an appointment by using the on-line nomination form. The form can be found at http://apps.americanbar.org/appointments beginning on December 2, 2013. The deadline for submitting nominations is February 28, 2014. All recommendations must be received by that date to ensure inclusion in the decision-making process. You must be an ABA member to apply.

Please complete your self-nomination form first, and then if you would like a NNABA recommendation, please e-mail adminassistant@nativeamericanbar.org by January 28, 2013. Please send in your qualifications for the position, and please include your self-nomination materials.

Congratulations to First Native American Judge in Riverside County, California

NNABA congratulates the Honorable Sunshine S. Sykes for becoming the first Native American to sit on the Riverside County Superior Court bench. Judge Sykes became Riverside County Superior Court’s first Native American judge when she appointed to the bench by California Governor Jerry Brown on December 5, 2013.

NNABA is committed to supporting and advancing well-qualified Natives Americans for appointment to both the state and federal benches. For more information about NNABA’s efforts to promote Native American judicial candidates, please visit our website at www.nativeamericanbar.org.

For more information about Judge Sykes’ appointment, click here.

NNABA Co-Sponsors Gaming Law Minefield

NNABA is a co-sponsor of the American Bar Association's 18th Annual Gaming Law Minefield Institute to be held February 13-14, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a co-sponsor NNABA members receive the same great rate as ABA members.

For more information, 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 $50 per year. At this time, NNABA is able to accept checks and money orders for payment of dues.

If you have any questions about membership or experience any difficulty with downloading, please feel free to contact us at adminassistant@nativeamericanbar.org.

NNABA PARTNER NEWS

ABA Midyear Meeting

The American Bar Association’s 2014 Midyear Meeting is being held in Chicago, IL, February 5 - 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. To register, click here.

Spirit of Excellence Award Luncheon

The 2014 Spirit of Excellence Awards Luncheon will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago during the ABA Midyear Meeting.

The Spirit of Excellence Award celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of lawyers who excel in their professional settings; who personify excellence on the national, state or local level; and who have demonstrated a commitment to racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession. The ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Legal Profession proudly honors:

Frankie Muse Freeman ● Brenda Harbin-Forte ● Patricia D. Lee ● I.S. Leevy Johnson ● Prof. Leo M. Romero ● Wendy C. Shiba ● Benjamin F. Wilson

Join the celebration! For more information, click here.