About
The Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) is a network of primarily Native Americans who are law students offering academic and Tribal culture support services. The MH NALSA also includes allies interested in the field of Native American law. In an era of asserting Tribal governments’ laws and jurisdiction, the membership maintains strong community relations while working toward cross-cultural understanding.
The Mitchell Hamline Native American Law Student Association chapter (MH NALSA) has a strong local connection to the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association (MAIBA), which sponsors CLEs and works with Tribal Nations to develop codes, rules, and procedures. MH NALSA also maintains a national network with chapters from other law schools, as well as Tribal Nations and Tribal individuals.
Membership is open to any interested current Mitchell Hamline students and individual dues are not required.
2024–2025 NALSA officers
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- President: (currently vacant)
- Co-Vice President: (currently vacant)
- Co-Vice President: William Vandergriff (Native Village of Shishmaref)
- Treasurer: Leo John Bird (Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and Blackfeet*)
- Co-Secretary: Danielle Carlson (Moravian of the Thames, Delaware Nation)
- Co-Secretary: Marcus Crosby (Muscogee (Creek) Nation)
- Events/ Networking Co-Chair: Rachel Evangelisto (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe)
- Events/ Networking Co-Chair: Ashley LaFriniere (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa)
- Public Relations Chair: (currently vacant)
- Native Law Chair: Jon-Erik Prichard (descendant Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes)
- Historian: Robyn Ludecker (Native Village of Kaltag)
- 1L BAM Representative: Case Guinn (Cherokee Nation)
- 1L Blended Learning Representative: Shalana Yates (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
- Faculty Advisor: Professor Angelique EagleWoman (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation)
Networking organizations
Recent accomplishments and event
Academic Year 2023-2024
- MH NALSA Chapter won Chapter of the Year Award from the National NALSA Annual Meeting in April 2023!
- October 4, 2023, MH NALSA offered the annual Indigenous Peoples Day webinar with an Indigenous Judicial Panel with Three Native Judges online Hon. Leo Brisbois, White Earth Nation, U.S. District Court of Minnesota Magistrate; Hon. Phil Brodeen, Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, Lower Sioux Tribal Court Judge; and Hon. Terri Yellowhammer, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Hennepin County 4th Judicial District Judge.
- In November 2023, MH NALSA assisted with the annual Native Law Conference, “Tribal Sovereignty and Economic Power.”
- In January 2024, the Pre-Law Magazine Winter edition named Mitchell Hamline School of Law one of the Best Law Schools for Native Americans ranked 5 of 9 national law schools.
- In March 2024, MH NALSA hosted an online book club featuring Voices from Pejuhutazizi: Dakota Stories and Storytellers by Teresa Peterson and Walter LaBatte, Jr.
Stay tuned:
- The 2024–2025 MH NALSA Board has a lot of exciting new goals for the upcoming school year.
- Follow MH NALSA on Facebook for more information.