Degree Programs

The University of Arizona Rogers College of Law’s commitment to Indian and Indigenous’ Peoples law is illustrated by the fact that it offers all three law degrees – JD, LLM, and SJD – with LLM and SJD programs specifically focusing on Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy.  Details of each program are provided on this page.

JD Certificate Program

IPLP's mission is to prepare lawyers to protect and promote Indigenous peoples' rights in the quickly changing world of the 21st century.  At the LLM (and SJD) levels, that means training people who already hold a law degree about the intricacies of Indian and Indigenous law.  For J.D. students, that preparation includes training not only in specialized Indigenous law classes, but training in the fundamentals of law and legal practice.  Accordingly, the IPLP Certificate is designed to emphasize the legal building blocks necessary to effectively advocate on behalf of Indigenous people and to assist Tribes in creating strong, independent government systems.  The proposed certificate is designed to demonstrate that the students who earn the certificate are well-rounded lawyers with a significant understanding of the basics of Indian and Indigenous law.  In contrast, the LLM program is intended to demonstrate that its graduates are specialists in the field.

To obtain the IPLP certificate, a student must complete the course of study described below (the exact number of units will vary depending on which courses the student chooses for Part II, but obtaining the certificate requires approximately 22 units).  Students interested in obtaining the certificate are strongly encouraged to meet with Professor Tatum, the certificate director, at least by the end of their fourth semester to ensure the student is on track to complete all requirements.   In special circumstances, a student may petition the certificate director to substitute a course not on the list to satisfy one of the requirements.  Examples of special circumstances include a one-time offering of a course and/or a listed course not being offered for an extended period of time.  With prior approval of the certificate director, a student may substitute one (but no more than one) graduate level course from another University of Arizona department for one of the Part II (Building Block) courses.

1. Foundation: Students must complete Block A AND Block B
   1. Either International Human Rights & Indigenous Peoples OR International Human Rights
   2. Federal Indian Law I
2. Building Blocks: Students must complete one course from each category (in other words, one "government infrastructure" course, one "economic development" course, etc.)  At least one of the four courses must be an IPLP course; at least two of the courses must be non-IPLP courses (IPLP courses are marked with an asterisk)
   1. Government Infrastructure
      1. Tribal Courts and Tribal Law *
      2. Taxation in Indian Country *
      3. Fundamentals of Regulation
      4. Administrative Law
      5. Federal Courts
   2. Economic Development
      1. Native Economic Development *
      2. Law, Policy, & Economics of Contemporary Tribal Economic Development *
      3. Corporations (Business Organization)
      4. Employment Law
      5. Secured Transactions
   3. Resources Management & Protection
      1. Native American Natural Resources *
      2. Globalization and Transformation/Preservation of Culture *
      3. Cultural Property
      4. Environmental Law
      5. Intellectual Property Law
      6. Public Lands & Mining
      7. Water Law
   4. Community Relations & Community Services
      1. Family Law
      2. Estates and Trusts
      3. Gender and the Law
      4. Psychology, Law and Policy of Divorce
3. Applied Component: Students must complete Block A AND Block B
   1. Students must complete a minimum of four units designed to put theory into practice and apply what they've learned in the classroom.  Those four units may be any (or any combination) of the following:
      1. Indigenous Peoples Law Clinic
      2. Internship/Externship (must obtain PRIOR approval of director)
      3. Independent Study project (must obtain PRIOR approval of director)
      4. Participation in the National NALSA moot court competition
   2. Students must attend at least 10 IPLP speaker presentations over the course of the student's law school career.  It is the student's responsibility to provide adequate documentation for this requirement, including signing the attendance sheet at each event.  (Students wishing to earn the certificate in the first two years of its existence, but who cannot satisfy this requirement, may petition the certificate director to substitute other relevant work for this requirement.)

LLM Program

The material below sets out an overview of the LLM program, along with the admissions criteria and procedures, and the graduation requirements.  More information on tuition, costs & fees and special information for international students is also available.

Overview:
Located in Tucson, in the heart of the American Southwest and Arizona Indian Country, the University of Arizona is widely recognized as one of the world's leading academic centers for the study of indigenous peoples' cultures, histories, languages, laws, and human rights. The Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona has played a major part in developing this leadership role over the past two decades. By using the strengths of the University of Arizona in the field of indigenous peoples studies, and working closely with indigenous peoples, their leaders and their communities, the Rogers College of Law has developed a nationally acclaimed transdisciplinary LLM Program in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy, designed to prepare lawyers to meet the unique and difficult set of challenges and problems confronting international and domestic law reform and policymaking in the field of indigenous peoples' rights in the 21st Century.

Concentration in Critical Race Theory/Practice
Critical Race Theory and Practice are grounded in the reality of race and power as forces to be reckoned with in the law, not ignored. At Arizona's IPLP Program, with its unique focus on the theory and practice of Federal Indian and Indigenous rights law, our faculty, curriculum and clinical placements offer numerous opportunities for our students to develop their skills as Critical Race scholars and advocates. Over the past eight years, the IPLP LL.M. has prepared its 66 graduates to understand and apply Critical Race Theory and Practice. With the addition of a formal concentration as part of the LL.M., the University of Arizona and the IPLP Program now offer students the opportunity to specialize in this important field.

Concentration in Human Rights
Arizona Law’s Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program is not just an ivory tower think tank studying human rights. Rather, IPLP faculty, students and alumni regularly work on the front lines and in the trenches, actually making the law. Indian and Indigenous law cases are the vehicle for defining and expanding International Human Rights laws, and IPLP faculty and students successfully argued the landmark Awas Tingni case before the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, assisted the Dann Family and other Western Shoshone groups to defend their land rights in precedent-setting proceedings before the OAS’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and successfully litigated on behalf of Maya groups in Belize’s Supreme Court to protect traditional lands and resources.

Admissions Criteria:
Each year the IPLP LLM Program admits approximately 10 to 12 highly talented individuals. Our small size permits greater involvement by students and faculty alike. All LLM candidates must be JD graduates of an ABA approved law school in the United States, or possess the first law degree from a foreign law school approved by the government or other accrediting authority in the nation in which it is located. Candidates for whom English is not their first language must demonstrate fluency in English (generally, TOEFL test scores of 600 or better are expected). The University of Arizona offers excellent short courses in English, which may be arranged at the student's cost prior to enrolling if a student's TOEFL is under the required level.

You can download the application or contact Melissa Tatum for a copy of the application. In addition to the application itself, prospective students should submit:

• Domicile Affidavit for both resident and nonresident applications;
• For international students whose first language is not English, an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test report with a minimal score of 600 (or the computer based equivalent);
• Two letters of recommendation;
• A resume;
• A personal statement indicating your interest in indigenous law and policy, critical race theory, and/or human rights, along with a description of any relevant experience in the field. Please include copies of any relevant publications. The IPLP is particularly interested in students who, by virtue of their background and experience, will bring diverse interests and perspectives to the graduate program. The principal vehicle for describing those varied educational, life and work experiences is through the personal statement, which is required as part of the application. A candidate's personal statement should be a typed, concise and well-drafted document of two to three pages;
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions previously attended;
• A complete Financial Guarantee form for international students; and
• A non-refundable application fee of US $50.00 payable to “The University of Arizona College of Law – IPLP.”

Once admissions to the IPLP LLM Program is confirmed by a letter of offer, candidates who accept the offer of admissions are required to pay a non-refundable US $250.00 seat deposit. This can be paid by cashier's check or money order and made payable to The University of Arizona, Rogers College of Law. This deposit will be credited to your tuition account.  All students born after December 31, 1956 are required by UA to verify measles/rubella immunity. Important details pertaining to proof of immunization can be obtained from the UA Campus Health Care web site. Without proof of measles/rubella immunity on file with Campus Health Services, students will not be permitted to register for classes.

Graduation Requirements:
     The IPLP LLM program is a one-year, full-time degree program. Candidates are expected to complete successfully a minimum of 24 credit hours divided equally between the fall and spring (12 per semester). It is the responsibility of all LLM students that they meet these requirements within the academic year. All candidates will be expected to spend their full time on study and research activities while enrolled at the James E. Rogers College of Law.  Students are required to complete Federal Indian Law I and International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples.  Students are strongly encouraged to complete the remainder of the required credits from the IPLP courses, although IPLP’s Associate Director will work with each student to design a course of study that will help each student fulfill their career goals. Grading in the LLM program is scaled on a pass-fail basis.  International candidates are also encouraged to register for a two unit Summer Session course addressing the American Legal System.

SJD Program

The material below sets out an overview of the SJD program, along with the admissions criteria and procedures, and the graduation requirements.  More information on tuition, costs & fees and special information for international students is also available.

Overview:
The Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona offers a doctoral degree in law, the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD). As the highest degree offered in the field of law, the SJD offers candidates an intellectually challenging opportunity for academic specialization. Augmenting the graduate legal studies offered through its Master of Law Programs in International Trade and Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy, the College of Law expects that the SJD Program will offer the most specialized training in these areas in the world. Candidates for the SJD will conduct advanced research and produce original scholarship under the guidance of select, internationally renowned faculty members from the Rogers College of Law, such as Robert A. Williams, Jr., author of Federal Indian Law: Cases and Materials (5th ed.), and S. James Anaya, author of Indigenous Peoples in International Law (2nd ed.). In addition to traditional coursework, clinical components of the program foster the connection between practical experience and scholarly development, resulting in direct public service that is attentive to local, state, national, and international needs. The faculty and staff of the University of Arizona graduate legal studies programs are inspired to meet these needs by its diverse student population and close relationships with international organizations and local and international Indigenous communities. The IPLP Program has welcomed students from all over the world, including numerous Native nations of the Americas as well as Australia, Africa, and East Asia.

This highly competitive program is open only to applicants who have attained a JD from an ABA accredited law school or foreign equivalent, and the completion of an LLM or foreign equivalent. Students who are currently enrolled in an LLM program at the Rogers College of Law can also submit applications for the SJD program. To foster both the development of unique scholarship as well as close working relationships between the faculty and the SJD candidates, the Rogers College of Law will continue to attract only the most skilled, ambitious students and scholars from around the country, and many other countries. Upon completion of their advanced graduate legal studies, many Rogers College of Law SJD graduates will seek teaching positions at academic institutions while others may seek positions at governmental institutions, non-profit organizations, or international organizations, all building on the prior success of graduate legal studies at the University of Arizona.

Admissions Criteria:
Applicants seeking admission to the SJD Program should possess  a strong commitment to a rigorous scholarly experience. One indication of such commitment is the conferral of a Masters of Law (LLM) degree, and the SJD Program requires each applicant to have earned an LLM prior to matriculation.  The SJD Program offers two limited exceptions to the LLM requirement. The first exception is reserved for students already enrolled in the IPLP Program. LLM students at the Rogers College of Law who apply for admission to the SJD prior to graduation may choose to forego receipt of the LLM and directly apply previously earned credits toward the SJD. In addition, because the Rogers College of Law houses two well-respected LLM Programs devoted to international perspectives, persons with a foreign equivalent of the LLM are encouraged to apply.

You can download the application or contact Melissa Tatum for a copy of the application. In addition to the application itself, prospective students should submit:

• A complete SJD Program application form;
• Dissertation Proposal;
• Verification of contact with faculty sponsor;
• Domicile Affidavit for both resident and nonresident applications (NOTE: this affidavit is not a federal immigration law form; it is a university administrative tool to determine residency for all students);
• For international students whose first language is not English, an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test report with a minimal score of 600 (or the computer based equivalent);
• Two letters of recommendation;
• A resume demonstrating the applicant’s professional experience;
• A personal statement outlining your experience and accomplishments in the field of indigenous law and policy. Please include copies of any relevant publications;
  The IPLP Program is particularly interested in students who, by virtue of their background and experience, will bring diverse interests and perspectives to the graduate program. The principal vehicle for describing those varied educational, life and work experiences is through the personal statement. A candidate's personal statement should be a typed, concise and well-drafted document of two to three pages;
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions previously attended;
• A complete Financial Guarantee form for international students; and
• A non-refundable application fee of U.S. $50.00 payable to “UA College of Law – IPLP.”

Please mail materials to the following address:

IPLP Program
c/o Melissa Tatum
Rogers College of Law, Rountree Hall Room 202
P.O. Box 210176
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0176 U.S.A.

The annual application deadline is March 31st for the following academic year; however, applications may be considered on a limited basis up to May 30th (conditional on available space).

Applicants will receive a letter of acknowledgement by the IPLP upon receipt of a completed SJD Program application as well as notice of any outstanding documents.

Graduation Requirements:
Candidates will spend one year in residency with the Program, taking part in course work equal to a minimum of 24 credit hours. With the guidance of the candidate’s faculty advisor, each SJD student is expected to enroll in courses related to his or her specialization. There are no courses mandated for the SJD residency requirement. Upon completion of the one-year residency requirement, candidates will spend one to two years completing independent research. During this time, candidates may enroll as part-time or full-time students, allowing them to either remain at the law school or to complete their dissertation elsewhere. Post-residency coursework must include two to nine dissertation credits plus coursework to ensure that students have an established method for periodic evaluation of their progress in their dissertation. Coursework may also include independent study credits, clinical courses, or any other courses approved by the faculty advisor.  Candidates should consult the student handbook for the complete dissertation guidelines.