The Navajo Nation Bar Association

The Navajo Nation Bar Association (NNBA) serves the Navajo Nation, a federally-recognized Indian tribe. The Navajo Nation sits in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, and it has the largest Indian reservation in the United States by area. It is also the second largest federally-recognized Indian tribe by population, many of whom live in Arizona. The capital of the Navajo Nation is Window Rock, Arizona.

The creation of the NNBA was part of a process to bring back tribal legal affairs to the Navajo Nation. The first American-style court for the Navajo Nation was created in 1892 as the Navajo Court of Indian Offenses established through the Bureau of Indian Affairs Court. In 1959, the Navajo Nation court system was created by the Navajo Nation. This gave the Navajo Nation its own trial courts. However, the Navajo Nation did not regulate or control who could practice in their court system, leading to many people appearing in the court who had little or no knowledge of Navajo Nation laws, practices, or culture. In order to resolve this issue, legal and lay advocates with the assistance of the DNA-People’s Legal System strove to create a method to regulate and enhance the legal practice in Navajo Nation Courts. This advocacy resulted in a group of Navajo Nation judges creating the NNBA in 1978. The NNBA has been a 501(c)(6) entity since 2003, and membership is a requirement for practice in Navajo Nation courts.

The fundamental purpose of the NNBA is similar to that of the State Bar of Arizona or any other state bar: to promote and encourage the highest quality and professionalism in the practice of law in their jurisdiction and in the judicial system. It has 5 main goals to achieve this purpose: 1. to regulate the admission of practitioners to the Bar of the Navajo Courts, so as to insure competence and scrupulous adherence to ethical standards among the members of the Navajo Bar; 2. to encourage and assist in the establishment of comprehensive training programs for persons desiring to practice in the Navajo Courts and to insure the maintenance of high standards for such training; 3. to assist in the recruitment and selection of the most able practitioners to serve as judges in the Navajo Courts; 4. To advise the Courts on rule changes and other measures which would improve the administration of justice in the Navajo Court system; and 5. to recommend to the Navajo Courts legislation which would enhance and improve the Navajo Court system and the ability of the Navajo Nation effectively and fairly to govern those within its jurisdiction.

The NNBA operates much like the State Bar of Arizona. It offers a twice-yearly bar exam that focuses on Navajo Nation law and rules as well as federal Indian law. It also runs character and fitness checks required for admission. It has a 9 member board of commissioners who serve for 3 year terms as well as a board president who serves a 2 year term. As of 2026, the current board president is Rodriquez Morris. There are various committees to assist with achieving the NNBA’s goals, including committees for admission, training, CLE, rules, and judicial evaluation. The NNBA also affiliates with neighboring state bars, including in Arizona and New Mexico.

The NNBA has been a resounding success in the almost 50 years it has existed. It has grown to include over 500 members of the Navajo Bar. Many of those members are also members of the State Bar of Arizona. It is the largest bar association that directly serves an Indian Nation. It has worked with and for changes in the Navajo Court system, including the creation of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court in 1985 and the Peacemaking Program in 2001. The Peacemaking Program uses traditional Navajo cultural practices to resolve interpersonal and family conflicts without having to use the formal court system.

Membership in the NNBA is open to attorneys who are not enrolled in an Indian tribe, on the conditions that they pass the Navajo Nation bar exam and character and fitness, reside or work in one of the Four Corners states, and meet the other requirements for admission.

Anyone interested in joining the NNBA can look at the full requirements for admission at https://www.navajolaw.info/bylaws.