With 22 Native American tribes in Arizona, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is expanding its programs for the native legal community.

Kathlene Rosier, director of the college’s Indian Legal Program, said the expansion would include online courses, economic development studies and more training for tribal leaders.

“We’re a school that’s really known for working with tribes,” she said.

This year, students in the Indian Legal Program will work with organizations like the Native American Bar Association, the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona and the Arizona Native American Voter Protection project.

Students will work in polling locations in the general election to help direct and assist voters. They are also helping attorneys answer any questions that may come up on Election Day, Rosier said.

She said Native American law is an increasingly important subject to law firms in Arizona and throughout the country.

Arizona is even considering adding Native American law to the Arizona Bar Examination, which all lawyers must pass to practice, Rosier said.

“To be a competent attorney in the state, you need to know Indian law,” she said.

Rosier said Arizona law firms emphasize knowledge of native legal systems because of the significant native population. Native American reservations account for more than a quarter of Arizona’s land.

Law firms are searching for people who understand tax implications, property rights and other legal aspects of Native American tribes, she said.

Kerry Patterson, a 2001 graduate of the Indian Legal Program, now works for Phoenix law firm Fennemore Craig representing developers dealing with Native American land.

“Indian law was always an area that I knew I wanted to practice,” Patterson said. “It’s a huge, growing area with so many tribes in the state.”

Brian Lewis, a third-year law student, said the Indian Legal Program helped him choose ASU over other law schools.

“It’s a very specialized field,” he said. “It makes a big difference in the availability of jobs and the options that you have.”

Lewis said he is most interested in the financial and economic development of different tribes. Most financial affairs with tribes involve the tribal institutions, state and federal governments and some sort of private investor or business.

“There are so many parties or players in the game,” Lewis said. “That is the most intellectually stimulating and interesting thing about Indian law.”

Each tribe also has its own judicial system. Many of these resemble the U.S. federal system, while others have more traditional legal codes.

Rosier said the Navajo Nation Peacemaking Program, for example, works to resolve conflicts between two parties through dialogue and cooperation.

“As an attorney you need to figure out how to find those [legal] codes,” Rosier said.

Several ASU law professors serve on the supreme courts of many tribes and have worked to ensure voting and civil rights for native people, she said.

“We’ve always worked pretty cooperatively with the tribes,” Rosier said. “It’s a really good partnership.”

Reach the reporter at adam.sneed@asu.edu.