| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
JUNE 22, 2022 | | |
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Greetings,
In 1968, Judge Lawrence Huerta wrote, “Life is a blank sheet of paper in which each of us writes one or two words before night arrives. Start it off with greatness, even if you only have time for one line make it great. To fail is not a crime but holding low ideals is.”
Those words still have the power to challenge and inspire.
Judge Huerta passed away recently at the age of 97. Throughout his life, he broke boundaries, including as the first Native American to graduate from the University of Arizona Law and to be admitted to practice law in Arizona.
May his words and his life inspire us all to the highest ideals.
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Until the footnotes,
Marc
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In Memoriam: Judge Lawrence Huerta 1924 – 2022 |  | |
The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law mourns the loss of The Honorable Carrasco Lawrence Huerta (’53) who passed away on May 25, 2022. He was 97.
Judge Huerta, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, was the first Native American to graduate from University of Arizona Law and the first to be licensed to practice law in Arizona. Throughout his illustrious career, he worked tirelessly to increase access to education for Indigenous communities and promote tribal sovereignty.
During his time as chancellor of Navajo Community College (now Diné College), Huerta helped to expand its reach and impact within the Navajo community, establishing the institution as a pillar of the nation-building activities of the Navajo Nation.
Huerta was also instrumental in the drafting of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s constitution and played a pivotal role in the tribe’s successful effort to gain federal recognition, extending significant rights to the tribe and its members. Today, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe has one of the most robust governments and tribal court systems in the nation.
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Committed to a life of public service, Huerta worked in various capacities for the state of Arizona including as the assistant attorney general, as a member of the State Industrial Commission and as a judge on the Maricopa County Superior Court. In recognition of the countless lives he impacted, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from University of Arizona Law in 2015, the highest honor bestowed by the college.
In 2014, as a tribute his lifetime of leadership to University of Arizona Law and to the legal community, the Huerta Scholarship was created thanks to an originating gift of $25,000 from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, which so far has helped nearly 40 Native students attend the University of Arizona College of Law.
The next time you’re in the law school’s library, stop and take a look at the Lady of Justice. When Judge Huerta graduated from Arizona Law, his parents could not afford to buy him a gift. Instead, they made this statue. Judge Huerta brought it to the Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy graduation celebration in 2014, said he looked at is every day to try to live up to his parents’ hopes and in gratitude, and then said, “and I’d like to give it to the law school.” We are honored to have this lasting reminder of Judge Huerta’s legacy.
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For more about Judge Huerta’s extraordinary life, read here. To make a gift to the Huerta Scholarship, visit our giving page and select Huerta Scholarship from the dropdown menu. | |
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Congratulations to Women of Impact Award Winner Stacy Butler
The University of Arizona recently announced its inaugural class of Women of Impact Award Winners, including Professor of Practice and Director of Innovation for Justice (i4J) Stacy Butler (’02).
Earlier this year, the University of Arizona Office of Research, Innovation & Impact announced the Women of Impact Awards as an annual effort to embrace and empower women, who through their work in research and innovation at our university, are laying the groundwork for a better future.
Winners from around the university were selected based on their commitment to the university's mission and values, an application of skills toward discovery and innovation, the enrichment of our community, and the empowerment of others to ensure lasting change.
The inaugural class of 30 Women of Impact, including Stacy, was selected from more than 400 nominees. Stacy launched i4J in 2018 to address the access to justice gap through creative solutions.
Stacy and the other 2022 winners will be honored in a ceremony on August 24.
Congratulations, Stacy!
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A Family Affair: Bilby Family Continues Father’s Legacy through University of Arizona Law Scholarship | |
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With Father’s Day last weekend, it’s a fitting time to share a story about the legacy of two generations of fathers.
In 1991, Judge Richard M. Bilby unknowingly began a family tradition. An alumnus of the University of Arizona, Bilby established the Ralph Bilby Memorial Scholarship at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in honor of his father who had graduated with the first JD class in 1920. Years later, Richard Bilby’s daughter Claire Bilby would go on to dedicate a scholarship to her father, a tribute to the man she calls her “first mentor.”
“He always gave back to the community, and this scholarship is one way for me to continue his legacy,” said Claire Bilby.
The first Richard M. Bilby Scholar was awarded to rising second-year Arizona Law student Aram Arutyunyan during the 2021-2022 academic year.
See the full story here.
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Save the Date: Homecoming 2022 | |
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Homecoming Weekend is October 27-29, 2022! October might seem like a long way away, but it will be here before we know it.
Mark your calendars and keep an eye on our Homecoming webpage as planning continues.
Alumni with a graduation year ending in a 2 or 7 – this is your reunion year, and there will be a special gathering for all reunion classes on Friday, October 28.
Homecoming and Reunion questions may be directed to Kate Osterholt in the Alumni & Development Office, kosterholt@arizona.edu or 520-626-8132.
Hope to see you in October!
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I met Judge Lawrence Huerta for the first time in 2014 at the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy graduation celebration. Many at our College had not been aware of Judge Huerta, and his unique story. Our distinguished alumnus Fred Urbina (’08), Attorney General for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, brought Judge Huerta to our attention.
What a gift it has been for me and others at Arizona Law to get to know Judge Huerta, and now to share his story. We do so, among other ways, through the scholarship that each year supports many Native students. We do so through our pride in having a graduate of our College who worked for justice and his community and embodied perseverance over his long and extraordinary life.
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