3 ASU law students awarded prestigious Udall Foundation Native American Congressional Internships

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University again highlights the prominence of its Indian Legal Program (ILP) with the selection of three of its students to the prestigious 2014 Native American Congressional Internship program run by the Udall Foundation. On April 2, the Foundation announced that 12 students from five tribes and nine universities have been selected as 2014 Native American Congressional Interns. ASU is proud to continue to have strong representation in this internship program, and to continue to educate exceptional Native American future leaders.

The awardees were selected by an independent review committee on the basis of academic achievement and a demonstrated commitment to careers in tribal public policy.

The three students are:

Glennas’ba Augborne, Navajo Nation, interning with the Council on Environmental Quality. Glennas’ba Augborne is a Dine (Navajo) from Blue Gap, Ariz., of the Coyote Pass clan, born for African-American people. She is currently seeking a juris doctorate with a certificate in the Indian Legal Program, and would like to pursue a career in Indian and international law. Augborne has a passion for the potential relationships between Indian nations and other indigenous nations abroad. Eventually, she would like to either work directly with Indian nations in a liaison capacity, a firm or in a federal agency.

Jacqueline Bisille, Navajo Nation, interning in the office of Senator John McCain. Jacqueline Bisille is from the Navajo Nation (Dine) in Arizona. Her maternal clan is Tsedeeshgizhnii (Rock Gap People), her paternal clan is Asiihii (Salt), her maternal grandfather's clan is Kinyaa'nii (Towering House People) and her paternal grandfather's clan is Kinichii’nii (Red House People -Zia). Born and raised in Phoenix, Bisille has earned a bachelor's degree in justice studies, a minor in American lndian studies and an master's with a concentration in urban management. This May, she will earn another master's from ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Her interests include policymaking, renewable energies as an economic development driver and strengthening tribal self-governance. She intends to work on tribal legislative and government affairs.

Chelee John, Navajo Nation, interning with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Division of Indian Affairs. Chelee John is Navajo (Dine) from Zionsville, Ind. She is currently seeking her juris doctorate at ASU, but she previously attended Dartmouth College and graduated in 2012 with a double major in psychology and Native American studies. John currently serves as her class representative to the Student Bar Association, is the community outreach chair for the Native American Law Students' Association and volunteers as a student ambassador for admissions and financial aid. She is an active participant in moot court, was honored as a client-counseling finalist and was recently chosen to serve on the moot court executive board. John also volunteers with the Business Legal Assistance Program helping local entrepreneurs start small businesses. She hopes to help Native Americans and tribal governments by fostering economic development on reservations, and by helping tribal entities engage in capital markets.

This highly regarded internship program is intended to provide American Indians and Alaska Natives with an insider's view of the federal government. The internship is located in Washington, D.C., and is known for placing students in extremely competitive internship positions in Senate and House offices, committees, cabinet departments and the White House, where they are able to observe government decision-making processes firsthand. The Udall interns will complete an intensive, 10-week internship in the summer of 2014. Special enrichment activities will provide opportunities to meet with key decision-makers. From 1996 through 2014, 221 American Indian and Alaska Native students from 110 tribes have participated in the program.

For more information about the Indian Legal Program at ASU Law, visit http://www.law.asu.edu/ilp/TheIndianLegalProgram/ILPHome.aspx.