Kari James, a first-year law student at the S.J. Quinney College of Law was named 1L Student of the Year by the National Native American Law Student Association (NNALSA).

NNALSA was founded in 1970 to support law students who are interested in the study of Federal Indian Law, Tribal Law and traditional forms of governance, according to its website. James is passionate about advocating for indigenous students and is responsible for starting an NNALSA chapter at the U this spring.

James is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Navajo Mountain, Utah, a rural community on the Navajo Reservation.