Native American Law Center
Robert Anderson
Director, Native American Law Center
Professor of Law
Bob Anderson is a Professor of Law and Director of the Native American Law Center at the University of Washington. He also has a long-term appointment as the Oneida Indian Nation Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is a co-author and member of the Board of Editors of Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law (2005) and is co-author of Anderson, Berger, Frickey and Krakoff, American Indian Law: Cases and Commentary (Thomson/West 2008). He teaches and writes in the areas of Indian Law, Public Land Law and Water Law. Students have selected Professor Anderson as a Professor of the Year three times at the UW. In 2008, he was co-lead of the Obama Transition team for the Department of the Interior. He spent twelve years as a Staff Attorney for the Boulderbased Native American Rights Fund where he litigated major cases involving Native American sovereignty and natural resources. From 1995-2001, he served in the Clinton Administration under Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, providing legal and policy advice on a wide variety of Indian law and natural resource issues. He is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (Bois Forte Band). ... more
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Ron Whitener
Director, Tribal Court Criminal Defense Clinic
Executive Director, Native American Law Center
Senior Law Lecturer
Professor Whitener is the Executive Director of the Native American Law Center and Director of the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic. He is also a Senior Law Lecturer at the UW School of Law. ... more
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William Rodgers
Stimson Bullitt Endowed Professor of Environmental Law
Professor of Law
Professor Rodgers began teaching at the UW School of Law in 1967, spent seven years at Georgetown University Law School, and returned to the UW in 1979. Professor Rodgers specializes in natural resource law and is recognized as a founder of environmental law. He teaches Environmental Law, and Oceans and Coastal Law. Professor Rodgers is actively involved in the Environmental Law and Litigation course, as well as the Berman Environmental Law Clinic. He has produced the first volume of his two-volume treatise entitled Environmental Law in Indian Country (Thomson West 2005) and co-authored the recently published The Si'lailo Way: Salmon, Indians and Law on the Columbia River (Carolina Academic Press 2006). He has been actively involved in the Exxon Valdez "reopener," including publishing The Exxon Valdez Reopener: Natural Resource Damage Settlements, and Roads Not Taken, in the Alaska Law Review. ... more
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Molly Cohan
Supervising Attorney/Lecturer
Law Lecturer
Molly M. Cohan is the Supervising Attorney for the Tribal Court Criminal Defense Clinic at the University of Washington School of Law. She has extensive experience in Criminal law with a particular interest in training, cultural competence, and tribal criminal defense. ... more
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Brenda Williams
Lecturer
Law Lecturer
Brenda Williams is a Part-Time Lecturer at the Law School and is a Clinic Supervisor in the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic. Prior to joining the faculty, she served for 10 years as a public defender at The Defender Association in Seattle representing clients in all areas of public defense, including juvenile and dependency proceedings. ... more
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Mary Rodriguez
Staff Attorney
Mary Rodriguez is the Staff Attorney for the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic (TCPDC). She is a 2008 graduate of the University of Washington Law School and was appointed the Clinic's Legal Fellow following graduation. As a law student, Ms. Rodriguez excelled in the Clinic and continued as an Advanced Clinic student and summer student intern. She was a member of the inaugural Navajo Trip and has since participated in the Navajo Trips coordinating travel and agendas and well as taking on a faculty role in the Navajo Public Defender trainings. She is admitted to practice in the Tulalip, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Squaxin Island, Sauk-Suiattle and Washington State courts. As part of the TCPDC, she is the primary public defender at Squaxin Island, Port Gamble S'Klallam, and Sauk-Suiattle Tribes. At Tulalip she participates in the Tulalip Wellness Court. In 2011, Mary became a permanent staff attorney with the TCPDC. ... more
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Matthew Ficcaglia
Staff Attorney
Matt Ficcaglia is a staff attorney for the Native American Law Center. As a student at the UW School of Law, Mr. Ficcaglia was enrolled in both the Innocence Project Northwest Clinic and the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic. After graduating in 2006, he worked for the Snohomish County Public Defender Association, and later as an associate attorney with The Advocates Group where he served as the primary public defender at the Puyallup Tribe. Mr. Ficcaglia has been admitted to practice before a number of tribal courts in Western Washington, and joined the Native American Law Center in 2010 to assist with projects aimed at reforming tribal juvenile justice systems. He is currently guiding the development of a Model Tribal Youth Code in collaboration with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, and working toward the implementation of a Remote Representation Pilot in the Quinault Nation Tribal Court. ... more
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Natalie Migliarini
Program Coordinator
Natalie Migliarini is from Asheville North Carolina and received a Bachelor of Science in Textile and Apparel Management from North Carolina State University. Natalie started her career as a middle school teacher teaching life skills and career decisions to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. After finding an interest in nutrition she began working for the University of Minnesota as a Nutrition Educator working under the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Grant. Her most recent position as a Program Associate involved working under several federal public health grants through the University of Minnesota at the Center for Public Health Education and Outreach. She enjoys cooking, yoga, and exploring Seattle. ... more
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Carrie Gaasland
Secretary Senior
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Cynthia Fester
Secretary Lead
As faculty secretary lead, Cynthia coordinates the secretarial support for faculty in the school of law while supporting several faculty members (Robert T. Anderson, Jacqueline McMurtrie and William H. Rodgers, Jr.). She also coordinates the course web page set-up for the School of Law, and the Faculty Clerkship Letter of Recommendation process. Prior to her work at the School of Law, Cynthia enjoyed an eight-year stint as Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director for the Huskies, primarily supporting the sports of football, women's basketball, women's soccer, men's and women's golf, and Husky crew. ... more
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Thomas P. Schlosser
Part-time Lecturer
Mr. Schlosser represents Tribes in fisheries, timber, water, energy, cultural resources, contracting, tax and federal breach of trust. He is a director of Morisset, Schlosser & Jozwiak, where he specializes in federal litigation, natural resources, and Indian tribal property issues. He is also frequently involved in tribal economic development and environmental regulation. In 1970s, Tom represented tribes in the Stevens’ Treaty Puget Sound fishing rights proceedings. Tom has a B.A. from the University of Washington and a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. Tom is a founding member of the Indian Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association and also served on the WSBA Bar Examiners Committee. Tom is a frequent CLE speaker and moderates an American Indian Law discussion group for lawyers at http://forums.delphiforums.com/IndianLaw/messages.
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