Professor Sherri Thomas Selected as the New Director of the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program
July 24, 2025
Professor Sherri Thomas has been named the new Director of the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program (LIPP) at the School of Law. Professor Thomas assumed the role following Professor Aliza Organick who is set to retire this summer.
Professor Organick shared, “I couldn't be happier knowing that Professor Sherri Thomas will be taking over as Director of the LIPP at the School of Law. Professor Thomas brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and insight to this important position. I have no doubt she will continue to lead the way supporting and providing invaluable guidance to our students as they navigate the Indian Law program at UNM. The School of Law is incredibly fortunate to have Professor Thomas in this role.”
The Law and Indigenous Peoples Program offers both Native and non-Native students the opportunity to obtain a specialty in U.S. Federal Indian law through the Indian Law Certificate. It is a significant piece of the School of Law’s curriculum, providing students with the opportunity to engage with the complex legal, political, and cultural issues affecting tribal nations. Through both foundational and advanced coursework, students are prepared to work with tribes, Native clients, and the federal government.
Professor Thomas brings a deep personal and professional connection to Indian law to this role. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of the School of Law Library, where she manages both print and digital resources and teaches a Legal Research course. She also created and teaches Indian Law Research and regularly presents on Federal Indian, Tribal, and Copyright Law.
Professor Thomas is a 2005 School of Law graduate and earned what was then called the Indian Law Certificate, now the LIPP Certificate. She is an enrolled member of Taos Pueblo and was raised on the Diné (Navajo) Reservation. Her lived experience and academic expertise uniquely position her to lead LIPP as it continues its mission to educate future leaders in Indian law and support Indigenous communities through legal scholarship and service. Most recently, she was acknowledged by the editors of the 22nd edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation—the primary citation guide used by legal scholars, practitioners, and courts—for her contributions to the development of a citation rule specifically addressing Tribal legal materials.
Professor Thomas shared, “I’m truly honored and excited to step into the role of Director of the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program! Founded in 1992 by Professor Emerita Gloria Valencia-Weber as the Indian Law Certificate Program, LIPP continues to be a program that explores the legal issues affecting Indigenous peoples locally, nationally, and around the world. Its curriculum gives students the chance to study not only external legal pressures, but also the ways Tribal nations continue to thrive—economically, politically, and culturally—while staying rooted in their traditional values, lands, languages, and laws. I’m deeply grateful to Professor Organick for her dedicated leadership and for the strong foundation she’s helped maintain.”
She continued, “During my tenure, my vision is to center the academic and professional success of Indigenous law students and their allies by creating a sustainable and provocative curriculum, expanding mentorship opportunities, collaborating with the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Certificate Program, strengthening ties with the Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache nations, and deepening partnerships with the State Bar, and especially our alumni. I also look forward to continuing to support LIPP’s core pillars: the Tribal Law Journal, the Southwest Indian Law Clinic, and the Native American Law Students Association chapter at the School of Law. This community-centered approach is all about connection and collaboration—using synergy to help our students succeed.”
