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Greetings,
As we take time to celebrate and give thanks
with our family and friends this week, I am reminded of
what a truly special community we have and the many
people -- students, faculty and staff, alumni, and
friends who make Arizona Law the institution we love.
To all of you who have given back, whether in
the form of a monetary donation, a planned gift, your
time, your counsel to current and prospective students,
by joining the new online alumni directory, or with your moral
support -- THANK YOU. Your contributions
have a big impact and we are grateful.In
the spirit of giving thanks and giving back, in this
issue we spotlight the Huerta Scholars Program and the
2015 #GivingTuesday campaign and profile three
Huerta Scholars. Until the footnotes,
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The Huerta
Scholars Program and Giving Tuesday
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Last
year we participated in our first Giving Tuesday
campaign. While the event was new for the college,
in true Arizona Law fashion you responded.
To
the many people who participated in Giving Tuesday and
supported our Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy
(IPLP) program last year, thank you. You
helped us recruit a record-breaking class of Native
students to the college through the 2014 Huerta
Scholars Program #GivingTuesday campaign.
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide effort to raise
awareness and motivate action for the common good.
It falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving -- just after
Cyber Monday (this year on December 1).
Through the Huerta Scholars Program, leadership
gifts from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Seattle law firm
Galanda Broadman, PLLC, and the
generosity of our community, IPLP this fall 2015
semester was able to triple the number of Native
American students entering the law school from just two
years ago . This
year, IPLP's Giving Tuesday goal is to double the impact
of this generosity.
We invite the Arizona Law community to join us in
investing an additional $120,000 or more toward helping
Native law students to realize their professional and
personal dreams through legal education -- for
themselves, their families, and their tribal
communities.
The Huerta Scholars Program was established by
Arizona Law in 2014 in honor of Judge Lawrence Huerta
('53, at right), a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe and
the first Native American to graduate from the
University of Arizona's law school and to practice law
in Arizona. Read more about Judge Huerta's
remarkable career as an Indian rights lawyer here.
This year's campaign is co-chaired by Professor Rob Williams (below, right)
and alumnus Gabriel Galanda ('00), of the Seattle
law firm Galanda Broadman. Professor Williams
points out that 9 percent of students entering this
year's fall 2015 JD class and 7 percent of all new
Arizona Law graduate students are Native
Americans.
 "Both numbers,"
Williams notes, "are historic highs for the
time I've been here, since 1987, actively recruiting
Native students."
"Think of it,"
says Galanda. "In one single year, the law
school recruited and admitted a total of 19 Native
students, with six of those students coming from Arizona
tribes. That's never happened before. The Huerta
Scholars Program is key in the success of these
recruitment efforts. We have to keep it
going."
If American Indian legal rights and providing
opportunities for Native law students and their tribes
are important issues to you, please consider giving the
first billable hour of your day, or any amount, to the
Huerta Scholars Program for Giving Tuesday. There
are several ways you can help:
- You don't have to wait for December 1.
Please visit the Arizona Law giving page and
select "Huerta Scholars" from the
drop-down menu. Every donation, no matter the size,
will help with our goal and inspire others to
participate.
- For campaign updates and links you can share
among your networks, please follow Arizona Law's
social media outlets (Arizona Law Twitter and Arizona Law Facebook feeds).
Use hashtags
#HuertaScholars and #GivingTuesday.
- Watch the IPLP website for
additional information about Judge Huerta, the
Huerta Scholars, and our impact on Native
communities.
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| Current
Huerta Scholars, profiled below, say THANK
YOU!!! |
IPLP students
and alumni are making real differences in tribal
communities in Arizona and around the world.
Celebrate our gratitude, Judge Huerta, and Native
law students this 2015 Giving Tuesday through the IPLP
Huerta Scholars Program.
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Meet the 2015 Huerta
Scholars
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Francisco
Olea ('18)
The
first student to receive the Huerta Scholars Program's
full tuition scholarship and matching financial aid
award for 2015-16 is Francisco Olea, a member of the
Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Francisco is the
first member of his tribe to grow up on the Pascua Yaqui
reservation and attend the College of Law. His
future career plans?
"I would most
certainly love to return to the reservation to assist
with the implementation of changes that would
immediately impact the community (i.e., education
advocacy, violence and criminal justice reform, drug
problem issues, etc.); but ultimately I see myself
moving forward as a champion for tribal nations and
indigenous peoples around the globe. My proficiency in
multiple languages, deep understanding of indigenous
cultures, and appreciation for the importance of
preserving Native traditions and cultural values compels
me to foresee that I may very well offer my services to
those that need it across the nation and
world."
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Francisco, right,
pictured with
Pascua Yaqui Tribe Attorney
General Fred Urbina ('08) and Judge Huerta
('53). |
Anna
N. Hohag ('17)
Anna
Hohag was born and raised in the Bishop Paiute Tribe
community in California.
Before law school, Anna worked for a tribe in San
Diego County for two years. She holds leadership
positions on both the University of Arizona and National
Native American Law Students Association (NNALSA)
boards. Her future career plans?
"After graduating
law school, I plan to use my knowledge learned from the
Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy program to work in
Indian Country and help advocate for tribal rights. I
also hope to provide mentorship to youth in Native
communities to help them pursue their higher educational
goals."
Jacob
Metoxen ('18)
Jacob
Metoxen is a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of
Wisconsin. Prior to law school, he served as
policy advisor to the Chairwoman of the tribe. His
career goals:
"While in that
position I began to understand the value of acquiring
knowledge before making decisions and also the
responsibilities we have to speak up for those who don't
have a voice. After earning my degree, I hope to work on
policy that connects people to resources and creates
more sustainable infrastructure."
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| Jacob
introducing his newest family member to Judge
Huerta. | |
Lady Justice is a guiding symbol to many of us in
the legal community.
For Judge Huerta, she represents so much more.
At the time of his graduation from law school,
family and friends asked his parents what gift they were
giving their son.
Upon learning of the graduation giving tradition,
this family of humble means made a striking handmade
statue of Lady Justice with the simple materials
they had on hand -- tortilla flour, water, and various
household items. Six decades later, when
we launched the Huerta Scholars campaign in 2014, Judge
Huerta brought his graduation gift to be a part of the
2014 IPLP graduation and blanket ceremony.
Following the touching ceremony, he stunned us
beyond words by gifting the college his cherished
statue. She currently stands proudly displayed in
the Cracchiolo Law Library as a meaningful symbol of
Judge Huerta's legacy and of dreams realized through
legal education.
On #GivingTuesday,
will you stand with Lady Justice, Judge Huerta, and
Native law students with your donation to the Huerta
Scholars Program? Start
here. |
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Opportunity
to Help Detained Immigrant Survivors of Domestic
Violence
The UA Bacon Immigration Law & Policy
Program and the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Project need your help. These two groups are jointly
launching an effort to ensure high-quality
representation for immigrant women detained in Arizona
with strong claims for asylum based on severe domestic
violence.
If you are looking for a pro bono opportunity
that will develop a diverse set of legal skills,
including brief-writing and oral advocacy, give you the
opportunity to work closely with a survivor of domestic
violence, gain expertise in asylum law, and be a part of
a social justice campaign, please consider joining this
effort.
Currently, the project organizers are seeking
attorneys to take on these cases at the trial court
level. Attorneys do not need to have experience in
immigration to participate. Every participating attorney
will receive training, close mentoring, and access to a
database with extensive samples and resources.
If you are interested or have any questions, please
contact Professor Nina Rabin (at
right) at (520) 621-9206 or rabin@email.arizona.edu or Charles
Vernon at (520) 300-4397 or cvernon@firrp.org. We hope
to hear from you!
Learn
more here (PDF). |
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Galanda
Broadman Top Indian and Gaming Law Firm
The firm's two named partners, Gabriel
Galanda ('00, right) and Anthony S. Broadman
('07), and a total of four of the firm's
staff of eight attorneys are Arizona Law
graduates:
Gabriel
S. Galanda ('00)
Anthony
S. Broadman ('07)
Ryan D.
Dreveskracht ('09)
R.
Joseph Sexton ('06)
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Professor
Massaro's Work in the News
 A paper coauthored by
Professor Toni Massaro and Helen L.
Norton (University of Colorado School of Law) on
artificial intelligence speech is the subject of a
recent Wall Street Journal Law Blog article,
"Could Computers Have First Amendment Rights?"
Read the blog article
here. |
Remember to join the Arizona Law online alumni directory and to
encourage your fellow alumni to sign up, too ( contact us for
instructions). The winner of our weekly drawing from
among new directory members is Francesca Montenegro
('07). Congratulations! We will draw another winner next
Wednesday morning, so sign up now!
Again, our deepest thanks for all
you do, for Arizona Law and for our society. We hope
your holidays are warm and filled with time with family
and
friends.
Warmly,
Dean
& Ralph W. Bilby Professor of Law
Shaping
the next century of legal
education
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