Prospective Students

The College of Law seeks a talented group of students with diverse backgrounds--in terms of country and states of origin, gender, and racial and cultural identity--to participate in its Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program. The IPLP Program offers a rich variety of specialized courses and clinical opportunities in areas of law and policy concerning indigenous peoples in the United States and around the world. These courses are available to second- and third-year students admitted to the College of Law's Juris Doctor (JD) program. They form the basis of the College's Master of Laws (LLM) in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy, a structured year-long intensive graduate level program, and are also available to Doctoral of Law (SJD) students. Distinguished outside speakers and visiting scholars add to the IPLP's regular course and clinical offerings. The IPLP Program seeks to provide students with classroom and practice-oriented learning experiences that are consistent with its mission of addressing the real life concerns of indigenous peoples today. Through these experiences, students from all three programs are able to thrive in an intellectual environment that is rigorous, engaging, comparative, and collegial.

If you are interested in the JD program, please refer to the Rogers College of Law admissions home page for important dates, details, and deadlines regarding the JD application process. Please refer to the LLM program web page and the SJD program web page if you are interested in these programs. Also, please take this opportunity to review the features of our website, which includes information on our faculty, staff, visitors, and advocacy projects. We welcome your inquiries and would be pleased to send you additional information regarding the IPLP Program. For more information, contact Associate Director Melissa Tatum at (520)626-9762, or by email at melissa.tatum@law.arizona.edu.

Criteria for Admission

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.

Other factors given primary consideration in the admission process include:

1. Academic record in achieving the first law degree;
2. Recommendations of professors or employers;
3. Evidence of interest and ability in the field of Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy, including publications or relevant work experience;
4. Evidence of a commitment after graduation to teaching at the law school level, government service, or indigenous peoples' law practice.

The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran's status, or sexual orientation in its admissions, employment and education programs or activities.

Given the small size of the program and its unique attributes, admission is highly competitive. The annual application deadline is March 31st for the following academic year; however, applications may be considered on a limited basis up to April 30th for the following academic year (conditional on available space). Earlier applications are strongly encouraged, as the Admissions Committee will be utilizing a “rolling admissions” policy, beginning in early February. The Admissions Committee ordinarily will not consider applications until all required information has been received.

Faculty Facts

Academic Prominence

The Rogers College of Law faculty includes two prominent scholars and teachers in the field of indigenous peoples' rights, Professors S. James Anaya, James J. Lenoir Professor of Human Rights Law and Policy, and Robert A. Williams, Jr., E. Thomas Sullivan Professor of Law and American Indian Studies and Director of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program. They are the authors of the leading scholarly texts on federal Indian law and indigenous peoples in international law. Professor Robert A. Hershey, one of the country's most experienced clinical educators in Indian law, is Director of the Indigenous Peoples Law Clinic. Professor James C. Hopkins, Associate Clinical Professor, IPLP Program, teaches in the areas of native economic development and comparative law of indigenous peoples. These leading scholars and teachers who constitute the primary IPLP Program faculty are part of a distinguished group of legal professionals at the college of law who are working in the field of indigenous peoples' rights and related areas (comparative law, international law and trade, intellectual property, international human rights, environmental law, family law).

Internationally Distinguished Advocacy Team

The faculty and other members of the IPLP Program have litigated in multiple forums many of the most famous cases addressing the rights of indigenous peoples. The IPLP Program faculty has been at the forefront of or assisted with cases that have been heard in U.S. Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court; the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; the domestic courts of Canada, Mexico, and countries in Central America; and in Native American tribal courts. Furthermore, faculty and other members of the IPLP program have practical experience implementing court decisions with indigenous communities and foreign governments. Clinic and seminar students have advocated for groups ranging from indigenous communities on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua to the Rioa Yaqui and O'odham indigenous communities in Mexico. They have appeared in front of international human rights organizations, such as the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. They have also worked with tribal entities, such as the Navajo Supreme Court, the White Mountain Apache Tribal Attorney’s Office, and numerous Indian reservations in the American Southwest and Arizona Indian Country.

Established Training Programs

Faculty have developed materials and presented at training programs for judges and advocates on indigenous peoples law and policy throughout the U.S. and abroad. The programs are associated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, top non-governmental organizations that promote indigenous rights, such as the Saami Council, and leading academic centers such as Harvard University, the University of Toronto, Åbo Akedemi University (Finland), and the University of Duesto (Spain). These materials integrate the latest developments in the field and provide some of the only technical guidance for many working in the field. Additionally, the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program regularly sponsors conferences and workshops that extend education on indigenous peoples law to the local community. Local conference topics have included "Environmental Conflict Resolution in Indian Country," "American Indians in the Courtroom: Language and Metaphor," "Comparative Issues in Domestic Violence," and "Indigenous Land Claims."

To learn more about the IPLP faculty visit the Faculty, Staff, & Research section of the website.