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THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW       |        November 4, 2026

Nov. 9

Neumann Lecture with Butch Farabee

Jan. 5

Employer Registration Deadline for Winter Private Sector Interviews

Jan. 7–15

January in Tucson

Greetings,

This week we feature the Tribal Justice Clinic, which recently filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a case about the construction of a border wall on tribal lands. One particularly meaningful aspect of this project is that Arizona Law students didn’t only draft the brief, they were members of the group of amicus curiae on whose behalf the brief was filed.

Read on,

Jason

On September 23, 2026, Clinical Professor Heather Whiteman Runs Him and the Tribal Justice Clinic filed an amicus brief with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the National Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) and the University of Arizona’s Native and Indigenous Law Students Association (NILSA) in Tohono O’odham Nation v. Mullin. The Nation is appealing a lower court’s decision allowing federal plans to build roughly 62 miles of border wall along its southern boundary to move forward.

Preparation of the brief involved law students in the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program, including students from Arizona tribal nations, who researched and drafted legal argument sections with Whiteman Runs Him, the clinic director.

Professor Whiteman Runs Him noted the meaningful work of the students, stating, “Tribal Justice Clinic students work on some of the most compelling cases impacting tribal nations in our region and the entire nation. This semester, students worked on an expedited briefing schedule from the first week of the semester and together we produced a quality legal brief and learned a lot about the unique legal challenges facing border tribes in the current political environment.”

FROM AROUND THE COLLEGE

University of Arizona alumnus and former National Park Service Ranger Butch Farabee will deliver this year’s Peter Chase Neumann Lecture on Civil Justice on Monday, November 9.

Known in the field as the “Ranger’s Ranger,” Farabee will share anecdotes from a colorful career brimming with lessons learned and a few acts regretted.

When: Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, noon–1:15 p.m.    

Where: University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd., Room 168 

Who may attend: The lecture is free and open to the public.   

Butch Farabee grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1965 with a degree in zoology. He was on the Tucson Police Department for three years then worked for 35 years with the National Park Service (NPS), serving in 11 different park areas. He went from trail crew to field ranger and retired in 2000 as the Acting Superintendent of Glacier National Park. He then managed four Texas State Parks. 

His notable legal matter is as a defendant in his official capacity in a 1997 Fifth Circuit appellate case (Dunn-McCampbell Royalty Interest, Inc. v. National Park Service; Butch Farabee), which upheld the NPS’s regulatory authority over Padre Island National Seashore. He has published six books on search and rescue and park rangering. He is a graduate of the FBI Academy and has a master’s degree in criminal justice. He is most proud, however, of his two sons and four grandchildren.

About the Peter Chase Neumann Lecture  

The Peter Chase Neumann Lecture on Civil Justice is part of University of Arizona Law's Civil Justice Initiative, which seeks to elevate the American civil justice system and train the next generation of great trial lawyers.  

Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law Rebecca Tsosie was named The Big 12 2026–27 Faculty of the Year Award honoree for Arizona.

The award recognizes one faculty member from each of the Conference’s 16 member institutions for excellence in innovation and research. The Big 12 Faculty of the Year Award also provides an opportunity to showcase the breadth of research breakthroughs and educational opportunities available to students at Big 12 campuses, while helping attract future students.

Professor Tsosie was named Arizona’s recipient for her lasting contributions in the fields of Federal Indian Law, legal education and advocacy, and has consistently shown dedication to supporting and mentoring Native law students.

IN THE NEWS

Why Project Certainty Is the Thorniest Part of the Permitting Bill

Heatmap, featuring Justin Pidot

Instagram, @uaiplp

This year’s Neumann Lecture promises to be quite engaging, as we hear about both legal and practical aspects of the National Parks Service. Hope to see you there!

Onward,

Jason