UNM ‘s Just Transition Grand Challenge recently hosted Dr. Noah Kaufman, co-chair of the Resilient Energy Economies Initiative for a lecture. The Resilient Energy Economies Initi…

The 2024 Scholarship Donor and Recipient Luncheon was hosted at the School of Law on November 8, 2024. This annual luncheon brings together donors and student scholarship recipients to celebrate the …

The UNM School of Law offers a unique program that allows select students to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. to live, study, and work. This experience allows participants to engage with judges, …

The Natural Resources and Environmental Law (NREL) program is dedicated to educating students to become influential leaders in the field of environmental law, preparing them to tackle pressing issues…

The State Bar of New Mexico hosted its State Bar Annual Awards Presentation during the Annual Meeting on October 25, 2024. The Annual Awards recognize those who have made exemplary contributions to t…

The School of Law hosted a Halloween movie night on October 24, 2024. Students, faculty, alumni, and community members gathered on the School of Law’s back lawn to watch The Addams Family while…

The State Bar of New Mexico’s Senior Lawyers Division held the Eleventh Annual Attorney Memorial Scholarship Presentation and Reception on November 12, 2024. The Senior Lawyers Division honored…

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) held its annual conference “Courage in Action” in San Francisco, California from January 7, 2025, to January 11, 2025. The following UNM Sch…

On December 11, 2024 Aja N. Brooks was sworn in as the 2025 President of the State Bar of New Mexico. In assuming this role, she became the State Bar of New Mexico’s 139th President. This appoi…

Sheldon Spotted Elk, a 2010 graduate of the UNM School of Law and a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, is one of 205 global leaders selected for the Obama Foundation Leaders program. This progra…

Cristina Parajón, New Mexico State Representative and first-year School of Law student, has been one of the driving forces behind the creation and development of the Gateway Center in Albuquerqu…

On January 14, 2025 the School of Law held a special reception to celebrate the establishment of the F. Michael Hart Chair in Children’s Law. The event recognized the generous $2.5 million dona…

Seventy-five community members gathered on March 1, 2025, at the Socorro Fairgrounds for a matanza and an afternoon discussion regarding the water management challenges facing the San Acacia Reach of…

On February 4, 2025, the Program in Law and Public Policy (PILPP) at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs hosted a discussion titled “The Conflicts of Anti-Colonialism: A Tr…

Professor Jennifer Moore recently released a book titled Women’s Work: Building Peace in War-Affected Communities of Uganda and Sierra Leone, which was published earlier this month by the Unive…

On January 29, 2025, Dean Camille Carey, Director of Bar Exam Success Patrick Lopez, and the School of Law Advancement team visited the Roundhouse in Santa Fe to participate in UNM Day during the 202…

The American Moot Court Association (AMCA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of legal skills among undergraduate students. To achieve this, the AMCA organizes and hosts nationa…

Third-year law student Marco Alarid White recently published an article coauthored by Donald K. Sherman, Executive Director and Chief Counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (…

This year, the School of Law’s Williams Institute moot court teams advanced to the final round of the 19th Annual Williams Institute Moot Court Competition. The School sent two teams to compete…

The Dean’s Circle Reception was held at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm on April 3 to celebrate members of the Dean’s Circle who contributed in 2024. The Dean’s Circle re…

The Natural Resources and Environmental Law (NREL) Program is proud to have earned an A+ rating from the National Jurist’s PreLaw Magazine this spring. The School of Law is one of onl…

In November 2024, New Mexico voters approved Constitutional Amendment 3, granting the Dean of the School of Law the authority to appoint a qualified designee to chair Judicial Nominating Commissions w…

The School of Law Faculty Scholarship Reception took place on April 22, 2025, in celebration of faculty who have published in 2024 and 2025. Twenty-four faculty members published 52 pieces of scholar…

On February 18, 2025, the ABC Community School Partnership, in collaboration with the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Public Schools, UNM School of Law, and New Mexico Legal…

The UNM School of Law Mock Trial team competed in the 2025 Mock Trial Competition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this February. The team competed against 13 other law schools in the region (with a total …

The Peggy Browning Fund helps law students gain experience with workplace justice advocacy by providing fellows with stipends for ten weeks of employment with labor-related mentor organizations. Purc…

The Utton Transboundary Resources Center at the School of Law provides research and public education on water, natural resources, and environmental issues, with a focus on New Mexico and the Southwes…

Third-year law student Laura Creech recently earned second place in the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section’s 2024–2025 Harvey Saferstein Consumer Protection Committee Student E…

On May 17, 2025, more than 100 students at the School of Law celebrated their commencement. The commencement ceremony took place on the School of Law’s back lawn, where over 1,000 family member…

The School of Law’s Association for Public Interest Law (APIL) raised $24,500 this year to fund student stipends for summer public interest work. This is nearly $10,000 more than last year. Thi…

The School of Law’s Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) Graduation and Blanket Ceremony took place on May 16, 2025. The ceremony honored Indigenous graduates and those involved in …

The Federal Bar Association hosted its 50th Annual Indian Law Conference on April 28-29, 2025, at Sandia Resort and Casino. The two-day conference united tribal leaders, policymakers, and legal …

The UNM School of Law will hold its 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17.

This year, the School of Law is honored to welcome Court of Appeals Judge Shammara H. Henderson as the keynote spea…

After 16 years of dedication and service to the School of Law, Director of Student and Career Services Bonnie Stepleton has retired.

Stepleton grew up in Albuquerque and began paving her path in the …

Professor Nathalie Martin recently published a new book titled The Inspired Retirement, released earlier this month by Beaver’s Pond Press.

Drawing from her own experiences as a legal scholar an…

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…

Rodina Parnall, Executive Director of the American Indian Law Center, has been honored with two awards recognizing her outstanding leadership and contributions to Indian law.

Executive Director Parnal…

The Wild Friends Program is a civics education program at the School of Law that provides hands-on learning to students in grades 5 to 12 across New Mexico. The experiential learning program t…

The School of Law Clinical Program has recently contracted with a licensed clinical social worker, expanding the support available to students and strengthening its multidisciplinary approach to lega…

The 2025 Law Scholarship Golf Classic, presented by Nusenda Credit Union, was held on Friday, June 6, at the UNM Championship Golf Course. This year’s tournament brought together 36 foursomes a…

The Madrid Summer Law Institute (MSLI) is a unique opportunity for law students to immerse themselves in new legal, social, political, and cultural concepts. Students earn five law school credits in …

On August 5, 2025, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her appointment of Kristopher Nicolas Houghton, a graduate of the UNM School of Law, to the New Mexico Court of Appeals. He succeeds Judge…

The School of Law proudly welcomes three new faculty members this fall: Professor Matthew Murrell, Professor Paul Spruhan, and Professor Natalie Winters.

Matthew Murrell joins the School of La…

The American Indian Law Center (AILC) proudly hosted the 2025 Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) for American Indian and Alaska Native law students this summer at the School of Law. Now in its 58th year…

The School of Law welcomed 108 students to the Class of 2028 Orientation, which was held from August 13 to August 15. The event introduced incoming first-year law students to the academic expe…

The School of Law is pleased to announce that Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin and Professor David Stout have been recognized with two of the State Bar of New Mexico’s 2025 Annual Awards fo…

The State Bar of New Mexico’s 2025 Annual Meeting brought together attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across the state for three days of education and networking at the Sand…

On July 16, 2025, at the Annual Meeting of the Trustees Council of The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (the “Foundation”), Professor Emeritus Reed Benson was elected as an …

A $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation will help experts from institutions around the country develop an artificial intelligence research institute aimed at developing a new …

On Friday, August 22, the School of Law welcomed students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends at the annual Back to School Fiesta. The event was held on the School of Law back patio and welcomed mor…

The School of Law is excited to announce two outstanding student achievements. Kieran Raney has been awarded the 2025 Justice Pamela Burgy Minzner Award, and Rachel Swanteson-Franz has received…

Melanie Fritzsche joins the School of Law as the new Director of Career Services, assuming the role following the retirement of Bonnie Stepleton.

Fritzsche grew up in Albuquerque and is from Laguna P…

The School of Law is proud to welcome Myka Autumn Curtis, who joins the School of Law as the Associate Director of Admissions and Pathway Initiatives. In this role, she will support admissions growth,…

On September 11, 2025, the UNM School of Law community gathered in the School of Law Forum to honor four faculty members whose recent book publications showcase the depth and breadth of legal scholars…