Indian Legal Program welcomes back former director Kate Rosier

TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kathlene "Kate" Rosier is returning as the executive director of the Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

Rosier, who left the College of Law in 2011 to become the assistant general counsel for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, served as the Indian Legal Program's director for 11 years.

"I feel like I'm being reunited with family," Rosier said about her return. "I love and missed the daily interaction with students, so I was excited to have the opportunity to come back."

Rosier replaces Ann Marie Downes, who recently was appointed by the White House to serve in the assistant secretary's office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Rosier will start on October 13.

Rosier said she is looking forward to picking up where Downes left off and working with Indian Legal Program Faculty Director Patty Ferguson-Bohnee. Rosier will be involved in the day-to-day operations of the program, as well as student recruitment and retention, and tribal outreach.

"There is a lot of energy around the program," Rosier said. "Patty is working hard to build new partnerships within the university and the community and that will lead to opportunities for our students."

Established in 1988, the Indian Legal Program at ASU is one of the largest and most renowned programs of its kind in the nation. Its mission to improve the legal systems that affect tribal governments is being advanced by graduates who have gone on to work at all levels of tribal, state and federal government, as well as private practice.

Rosier says she hopes to keep alumni engaged in the program's ongoing activities, as well as increase funding for new opportunities for students. One such program would allow Indian Legal Program students to study in Washington, D.C., and other places around the country.

"Our alumni and students are really the heart of the program and what makes it special," Rosier said. "What we do revolves around them and making their experience the best we can."

Rosier, a member of the Comanche Tribe, received her J.D. from the University of Utah. Prior to joining ASU Law in 2000, she served as a tribal court advocate at Four Rivers Indian Legal Services and as a prosecutor in children's court for the Gila River Indian Community.

About the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is one of the leading public law schools in the country. Currently ranked No. 31 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, the College has moved up further and faster in national rankings than nearly any other law school. The College is the preeminent law school in metropolitan Phoenix, the nation's sixth-largest city. In addition to its renowned faculty, the College is home to several leading centers and programs recognized for excellence, including the Center for Law, Science & Innovation, the Center for Law and Global Affairs and the Indian Legal Program. Its students choose and benefit from numerous opportunities for experiential and practical-skills training as well as an array of theoretical courses. With a writing program that is ranked No. 8 nationally by U.S. News, a wide range of clinical opportunities, a breadth of externship offerings, and a pro bono program that annually contributes more than 100,000 hours of legal and law-related services to the community, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is pursuing a path of boundless impact, excellence, engagement and opportunity. For more information, visit law.asu.edu.

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The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

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