Tsosie Recognized for Her Lasting Impact on Indian Country and Legal Education
The Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section has named University of Arizona Law Professor Rebecca Tsosie the 2026 recipient of the Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Federal Indian Law. The award will be presented at the Federal Bar Association’s Indian Law Conference, April 9-10, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tsosie serves as Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law at the University of Arizona. The award is in recognition of her significant and lasting contributions in the fields of Federal Indian Law, legal education and advocacy, and her dedication to supporting and mentoring Native law students throughout her career.
“Professor Tsosie’s impact on the field of federal Indian law and legal education can’t be understated. Her contributions to teaching and mentoring the next generation of Indigenous legal advocates and policy makers will have a lasting impact across Indian country. I can’t think of a more well deserving recipient of this award,” said Professor Keith Richotte Jr., director of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program.
A double University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) graduate, Tsosie received her BA and JD from UCLA , and completed a President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCLA. She is among the world’s leading scholars in the areas of federal Indian Law, tribal law and policy, Indigenous governance and resilience, and Indigenous cultural property law and policy.
Professor Tsosie teaches courses across the IPLP curriculum on federal Indian law, tribal cultural resource law, and Indigenous resilience and teaches foundational law school courses including property and equal protection. One of her many lasting professional achievements is helping establish the Indian Legal Program at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. She is also co-author of the federal Indian law casebook American Indian Law: Native Nations and the Federal System. She has extensive experience working with tribal communities across Indian Country and currently serves as appellate judge for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation's Supreme Court.