Bonnie Claxton
Bonnie J. Claxton (Chickasaw) graduated from the Indian Law Program at William Mitchell in 2013. During law school, she served as President of the Native American Law Students Association and Chair of the Minnesota Justice Foundation. She competed in NNALSA Moot Court twice, participated in the William Mitchell Indian Law Clinic, and volunteered with the Minnesota Indian Estate Planning Project. Bonnie worked as a Judicial Clerk for Vice-Chief Justice Montie Deer for the Muscogee (Creek) Supreme Court (2011) and served as teaching or research assistant for three professors during her time at Mitchell.
After graduation, Bonnie moved back to her hometown of Sylva, North Carolina and worked in private practice before being hired as a staff attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina in January 2015. At Legal Aid, Bonnie is able to pursue her dream of providing free legal services to low-income individuals in Indian Country. She works largely with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, seeking to alleviate the impacts of poverty through legal representation.