We are calling on you, the Arizona Law community, to support Huerta Scholars on #GivingTuesday, just under two weeks from today on
November 29, 2016.
Each day, IPLP students and alumni are hard at work to improve access to justice for indigenous communities in Arizona and around the world.
This #GivingTuesday, you can help Native law students with your donation -- and help launch the next generation of legal advocates for indigenous communities.
Professor Rob Williams, IPLP faculty chair, leads this year's campaign:
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The Huerta Scholarship is a crucial component of our mission to increase the representation of Native people within the legal profession. I have been privileged to see more than 100 Native students graduate from law school and become leaders within their communities and advocate for real change. I encourage anyone passionate about promoting justice for indigenous communities and supporting Native students to donate to the Huerta Scholarship."
To support the campaign this year, any time between now and November 29, please
visit the Arizona Law giving page and select "Huerta Scholars" from the drop-down menu.
Judge Huerta: A Legacy of Service
The Huerta Scholarship was established in 2014 in honor of Judge Laurence Huerta ('53) to provide financial support to Native law students.
Judge Huerta was the first Native American to graduate from Arizona Law. Huerta, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, has been a tireless advocate for increasing access to education and promoting tribal sovereignty.
Huerta's many accomplishments include helping draft the Pascua Yaqui Tribe's constitution and playing a pivotal role in the tribe's successful effort to gain federal recognition, extending vital rights to the tribe and its members.
During his time as Chancellor of Navajo Community College (now Diné College), Judge Huerta helped expand the college's reach and impact within the Navajo community. He was awarded the law school's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
In the six decades since Judges Huerta's graduation from Arizona Law, more than 100 Native students have followed in his footsteps, earning law degrees with a concentration in indigenous peoples' law and policy.
Record-Breaking Class
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Gabe Galanda ('00) was one of the lead supporters of the #Giving Tuesday campaign |
Thanks to the generous support of Huerta Scholarship donors, this fall Arizona Law enrolled 18 new students from indigenous communities from four different countries, a new record for the law school. These superb students and our world-renowned faculty together make Arizona Law a testing ground for the development of new legal strategies and theories to address the challenges facing indigenous
communities.
This year's diverse class reflects the investment Arizona Law has made to increase the representation of Native people within the legal profession.
In August we welcomed ten first-year Native JD students from tribal communities around the United States including the Tohono O'odham Nation, Isleta Pueblo, Nebraska Omaha Tribe, Cherokee Nation, Sac and Fox Nation, Athabascan, and Delaware Tribe. We also welcomed two Native JD students (Athabascan and Jicarilla Apache) who transferred from other law schools.
In addition, we welcomed one new IPLP Master of Laws student from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and five Doctor of Juridical Science students from indigenous communities including the Tohono O'odham, Diné, Wiradjuri, Aymara, and L'nu.
Message from NALSA President Anna Hohag
Anna Hohag (Bishop Paiute Tribe, 3L) is the President of the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) at Arizona Law. As a prior recipient of the Huerta Scholarship, she appreciates the vital support this scholarship program provides to Native students attending Arizona Law:
"The financial support of the Huerta Scholarship and the mentorship of fellow students and faculty have been the key to my success. Law school has opened new doors for me, allowing me to collaborate with the Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O'odham tribal nations to effect positive change and, especially close to my heart, to share my tribe's water story before a global audience at the One Young World Environmental Summit. I even got to meet Alejandro Toledo, former President of Peru and the first indigenous President of the country in over 500 years. President Toledo reminded me that as Native people in legal education we are a 'statistic' beating the odds against us, grounded by our 'roots,' which guide our path with purpose. I am so grateful for the support I have received from IPLP and Arizona Law. Please support Native students by donating to the Huerta Scholarship fund!"