With the Help of 2L Juliette Anne Jackson, the Native American Law Students Association Returns to AUWCL
Dec. 10, 2020
A champion for inclusive excellence, American University Washington College of Law welcomes a diverse student body from across the nation each year. But when 2L Juliette Anne Jackson came to AUWCL, she noticed how few of her peers were also Native American.
“Some students have never met a Native American person or are even aware tribal sovereign nations exist and are thriving,” said Jackson, who is an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes of Oregon. “Awareness and a presence of a Native American community is key to educating students on how to be allies to Native American students and the community at large.”
So at the start of the fall 2020 semester, Jackson reached out to her American Indian Law Professor Ezra Rosser to discuss reforming the AUWCL chapter of the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA), which had fallen inactive in recent years. From there she contacted Assistant Dean Lisa Taylor with the idea, and has since been working with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations to build the group from the ground up.
“It is great that NALSA once again is active on campus, something that reflects the difference that even individual students at WCL can make as well as the importance of active outreach by the admissions office to bring in Native students,” Rosser said. “While only a small number of graduates will go on to do work in Indian law, the school—in part because of its location—is able to offer a number of meaningful experiences to students interested in the field.”
With help from the Office, Student Affairs, and SBA, along with additional support from Program on Law and Government coordinator Guarina Lopez-Davis and Program on Environmental and Energy Law coordinator Ingrid Lesemann, Jackson has been able to connect with students at AUWCL who identify as Native American and spread word of NALSA’s return.
NALSA currently has 11 members who bring with them diverse backgrounds – some have native ancestry, while others are supportive allies. Along with continuing to recruit more members, specifically Native American students, to the group, Jackson said NALSA will assist the local Native American community legally by offering pro-bono services. The group is also currently working with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations and other programs at AUWCL to identify ways the law school can recruit Native American students and offer scholarships, create a pipeline program, and expand the course curriculum.
“American University had a very successful pipeline summer program that gave Native American students the opportunity to intern at prestigious government agencies and organizations focused on tribal law and policy issues, while also taking summer courses at the AU undergrad campus. We hope to establish a similar program at AUWCL,” she said.
“For Veteran’s Day, NALSA encouraged Student Affairs to advertise the grand opening of the National Native American Veteran’s Monument, located at the National Mall. Soon, we will circulate our first newsletter highlighting many Native American leaders, in honor of Native American Heritage month,” Jackson said of some of NALSA’s most recent initiatives. “In March 2021, we plan to co-host a panel series in honor of women’s month, which will include Native American female lawyers that will speak on various topics.”
Jackson, who has a special interest in environmental and civil rights issues, chose to attend AUWCL because of its location, the reputation of the Clinical Program, the strength of its specialty programs like Trial Advocacy Program, and the study abroad opportunities. She is currently a law clerk at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, where she works on diverse issues that impact tribal communities. Having been awarded by the American Indian Graduate Center a loan for service from the Bureau of Indian Education, Jackson is committed to working on tribal law or policy issues post-graduation.
“I hope to have a career in the federal or state government working on tribal matters because Native American lawyers are severely underrepresented in the legal field, especially in government positions. Having more Native American advocates in government is important for our community,” she said.
When it comes to promoting further allyship at AUWCL Jackson noted it’s not always easy for students, especially those that have had little interaction with Native American people or the policy issues that impact them. Efforts from the school to expand the course curriculum to include tribal jurisdictional matters, and an increased representation of Native Americans on campus at the student, staff, and faculty level, is key to helping non-native students be better allies for their Native American peers and the indigenous community at-large, she said.