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Greetings,

This week we feature recent LLM graduate Dana Chavis. The degree she just earned is Dana’s impressive fourth higher education credential but as you’ll read, life didn’t always go according to plan.

Dana’s story illustrates how our college draws students from across the country and beyond to learn from the experts on our faculty and pursue their goals.

Read on,

Jason

Class of 2026: Dana Chavis on How the LLM Deepened Her Commitment to Advocacy with Tribes

Name: Dana L. Chavis

Degree: LLM, Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP)

Hometown: Durham, NC

Education: JD, North Carolina Central University School of Law; MPA, University of North Carolina at Pembroke; BA, Duke University

What inspired you to pursue an LLM degree? 

As an undergraduate student at Duke, my goal was to obtain a law degree in Indian law immediately after graduation. However, life happened, and 23 years passed before I graduated from my evening law school program. My law school did not offer any Indian law courses so I knew I would need to return to law school to pursue my goal of earning a degree in Indian law.

Why did you choose University of Arizona Law for your LLM? 

I was a member of a leadership cohort for American Indian professionals at Campbell University and Professor Rob Williams presented to our class. I was immediately intrigued by his presentation and knew the IPLP program was the answer to my lifelong goal to earn a degree in Indian law.

What are your next steps after graduation? 

Since my undergraduate days, I always had a goal to assist my Tribe, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, in their recognition efforts. However, we successfully obtained federal recognition in December 2025. Now one of my goals is to assist my Tribe as they transition into federal recognition.

How do you hope to contribute to the legal field with the knowledge you’ve gained? 

With the deep-dive expertise gained during my LLM, I aim to serve as a resource for my peers and colleagues in Indian Country. Whether through formal advocacy with Tribes or by providing specialized consultations to other attorneys, I hope to elevate the standard of practice in the field of Indigenous Peoples law.

FROM THE COLLEGE

Rupprecht Jane Receives Rebuilding Justice Award

In April, Director of Innovation for Justice Stacy Rupprecht Jane was named the recipient of the Rebuilding Justice Award from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.

Each year, IAALS honors five individuals representing each of the organization’s five core values: question the status quo, let data guide the way, center the people, find common ground, and set our sights on tomorrow.

Professor Rupprecht Jane was recognized for Centering the People by expanding access to civil legal services and elevating the voices of those too often unheard.

IAALS is an independent research organization promoting innovation to make the civil justice system more just. Its annual Rebuilding Justice event in April celebrated the organization’s twentieth anniversary along with the achievements of Professor Rupprecht Jane and the other awardees.

“She continually educates others on how to center the people in their work in justice reform around the country,” said IAALS CEO Brittany Kauffman about Professor Rupprecht Jane. “She is a leader in this effort, she’s a teacher, she’s an innovator and she’s a guide as we all work to better center people in our innovation.”

IN THE NEWS

With her LLM, Dana Chavis now has tools she needs to serve her community and “elevate the standard of practice in the field of Indigenous Peoples law.”

In other words, she is centering the voices of the members of that community. As lawyers, it can be easy to get caught up in the scholarly and procedural parts of our work. As Stacy Rupprecht Jane shows in her work with Innovation for Justice, it is important to advocate with the individuals affected by the legal system, even as we also advocate for them.

Onward,

Jason