Indian Law Program
Alumni
In 1967, UNM established the first program to recruit American Indian law students. Over 200 native students have graduated from UNM, far more than from any other law school. Since UNM established the country’s second Indian law specialization, 79 students – Indian and non-Indian alike – have graduated with Indian Law Certificates testifying to their expertise in the field. UNM alumni hold leadership positions throughout Indian Country, working for tribal agencies, courts, businesses, Congressional committees, non-profit organizations, legal services providers, academic institutions, and private law firms.
UNM alumni include John Echohawk, Director of the Native American Rights Fund, Robert Yazzie, Chief Justice Emeritus of the Navajo Nation, Levon Henry, former Attorney General of the Navajo Nation, and Thomas Acevedo, Chief of Staff of the Mohegan Tribe. Recent graduates have obtained positions at the country’s top Indian law firms, in the honors programs at the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior, and as federal court clerks.
