Ferguson-Bohnee featured in 'MultiCultural Law' magazine

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, Faculty Director of the Indian Legal Clinic, recently was featured as the cover story in MultiCultural Law: The Magazine for Diversity in the Legal Profession.

Ferguson-Bohnee was interviewed about diversity in an article by reporter Meta J. Mereday titled, “Patty Ferguson-Bohnee: Bringing reflection and purpose to the National Native American Bar Association.”

Ferguson-Bohnee, a member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, is serving as President of the National Native American Bar Association. She told Mereday that there are not enough Native American attorneys, only 2 percent of the legal profession, and that more needs to be done to encourage enrollment in law school.

She noted that there are 22 tribes in Arizona, comprising about a quarter of the land base, but it was not until 2011 that a Native American lawyer made partner at a Phoenix law firm. More needs to be done to mentor Native American law students, she said.

“Because there are over 565 federal tribes and over a 100 more state-recognized and non-status tribes spread across the country, reaching students at an earlier age is challenging,” Ferguson-Bohnee said. “Some tribes do not even have one attorney. Law firms and corporate America could help by providing mentors in tribal communities.”

Read the entire article here.

Judy Nichols, judy.nichols@asu.edu
Office of Communications, College of Law
480-727-7895