IPLP Students Land Key Summer Placements Across Private and Public Sectors
Students gain valuable indigenous advocacy skills, expand networks
Thanks to the combined efforts of University of Arizona Law faculty, staff, and the Career Development Office (CDO), students in the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program and Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) have landed externships and fellowships with leading private law firms, tribes, Indigenous advocacy organizations, and state and federal government agencies.
Dillon Dobson will be at Kanji & Katzen, PLLC this summer. He found the position through Turtle Talk. He is also planning to take a family summer camping trip somewhere beautiful.
"I'm grateful to have been selected as a summer associate at Kanji & Katzen, PLLC in Seattle, Washington. I will be working on issues of import to tribes in the Pacific Northwest and across Indian Country. I came to the University of Arizona to learn and practice Indian law at the highest levels, so I am extremely excited for the opportunity to work at such a distinguished firm. I am confident that the skills and experience I gain this summer will be invaluable in my efforts to strengthen Indian country and make the world a more loving and balanced place. This opportunity is a huge blessing and I want to express my appreciation to all of my biggest supporters and mentors like my wife Tania, my mom Jane, my dad Roger, as well as Professor Williams, Professor Tsosie, Professor Gross, and all the incredible leaders in the NALSA and IPLP communities," said Dobson.
Rebecca Cohen will be externing with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Attorney General's Office. She met the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s Attorney General, University of Arizona Law alumnus Alfred Urbina, a few years ago when he was working as the Assistant Attorney General for the Tohono O'odham Nation. She will also be taking evidence online, working on her backyard rainwater harvesting garden, and learning how to longboard.
Hannah Goins will be working this summer at the Southwest Center for Law and Policy. She found her position through networking and will also be working on her children's book, finishing her note, and taking a couple of classes for her Master of Professional Studies in Indigenous Governance.
Daniel Hartman-Strawn will be working at the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) in its summer clerkship program. He found the position through the IPLP Friday job announcements. He will hopefully also be doing some mountain biking, rafting, and backpacking over the summer!
“This summer I am working as a clerk for NARF's Anchorage office. I am conducting legal research for attorneys in the Anchorage office and assisting with NARF's redistricting project. I am already learning so much about impact litigation and the civil and human rights work that NARF does, and look forward to continuing to learn more,” said Hartman-Strawn.
Analisa Skeen will be working at the Arizona Attorney General's Office, in the Natural Resources Section. She got her position through the Sonoran Desert Consortium organized by University of Arizona Law’s CDO. She is also hoping to get up into the mountains!
Jeneva R. Kame Parks will be working at Pangea Legal Services. Jeneva found the position through a friend. Kame Parks will be spending the summer with her partner in San Francisco, on the unceded territory of the Ohlone peoples.
This summer Julia Aguilera will be studying at the University of Oxford. She found the position through her own research. She hopes to spend lots of time at the beach!
Austin Lara will be externing with Federal Court Judge Cindy Jorgenson. He applied through the American Bar Association Judicial Intern Opportunity Program. He also plans to go on lots of summer hikes.
Stephanie Monroe will be working at the New Mexico Public Defender's Office in Gallup, New Mexico. She found her position through the CDO. She is planning to hike and listen to lots of audio books!
“I am honored to be interning at the New Mexico, Gallup Public Defender’s Office this summer. This office is on the front lines of justice for the local community, especially for members of the Navajo Nation and other minority peoples. I am getting excellent experience meeting with clients, appearing in court, and expanding my legal writing and research skills. The IPLP Program at University of Arizona Law has helped prepare me to succeed in my internship, and I hope to continue my legal career in the criminal defense field after graduation,” said Monroe.
Hayden Godfrey will be working at the National Council of Urban Indian Health as a legal policy fellow. He found the position through the NALSA resume bank. He will be taking evidence and professional responsibility online so that he can devote more time to NALSA leadership during the year.
Vince Redhouse will be working at Berkey Williams, LLP and he found the position through the IPLP listserv. He plans to study for the bar while traveling the country with his dog Chester.
Dillon Kim will be clerking with District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Reggie Walton in Washington, D.C.
Edward Ornstein will be interning with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Dirty Energy Team, opposing pipeline development and fracking on federally managed Indigenous lands.