Associate, Womble Bond Dickinson
T. Emiliano Aguirre is an associate in the firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. Emiliano’s practice focuses on Federal Indian law and applying it in transactions when advising Tribal governments, Tribal entities, and non-Tribal entities pursuing business opportunities within Indian country. He also has experience in areas applicable to Tribal economic development, including gaming, taxation, joint ventures, bankruptcy law, finance, corporate governance, as well as drafting and negotiating contracts involving Tribal sovereign immunity.
Prior to joining the firm, Emiliano developed various skills to help promote economic development in rural areas of Indian country. He developed transactional skills by working as a Capital Markets associate for another law firm, litigation skills by clerking in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and project management skills by working as a project controller for a national science and engineering laboratory.
Jonelle Benally-Clytus
Executive Director, Navajo Nation Ethics & Rules Office
Jonelle Benally-Clytus is the Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Ethics & Rules Office. She oversees ethics and accountability initiatives for the Navajo Nation and works to ensure adherence to ethical standards, transparency, and responsible public service.
Audrey Charley
Policy Analyst, Office of Navajo Government Development, Navajo Nation Legislative Branch.
Audrey Charley is from Combridge, Utah, is of the Tóaheedliinii, born for the Tábąąhí, her cheii’s In this role, she supports tribal and federal policy research, analysis, public education, and community engagement for the Navajo Government Reform Proposal.
Her professional experience spans tribal and state government, higher education, and federal service. She previously served as a Grant Coordinator with the ITCA, a Legislative Assistant at the Arizona House of Representatives, and in a tribal education grant support role at Utah State University. She also completed an internship with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program in Washington, D.C. These experiences inform her work in policy development, intergovernmental coordination, and community engagement.
Audrey earned a Master of Legal Studies with an emphasis in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Indigenous Studies, with a minor in Political Science, from Northern Arizona University.
Brian Curley-Chambers
Law Clerk, Navajo Supreme Court
Brian Curley-Chambers is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. He is of the Bitter Water Clan [Todichiinii], born for the Water’s Edge clan [Tabaahi]. He is a third year law student who worked on the Native Vote – Election Protection Project for four semesters. He spent two semesters in the Election Protection research cluster gathering and analyzing data, and then two additional semesters in the Indian Legal Clinic analyzing data and assisting with the 2016 Native Vote – Election Protection Report. He also served as a Native Vote Volunteer during the 2016 General Election.
Chief Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel, 25th Navajo Nation Council
Espino serves as the Navajo Nation Council’s chief legal advisor and leads the Office of Legislative Counsel, which drafts legislation and advises the Council, its standing committees, and delegates. The 25th Navajo Nation Council appointed her unanimously in October 2024. She brings more than 25 years of experience in tribal, state, and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. She previously served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Senior Prosecutor with the Navajo Nation Office of the Prosecutor, Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office, and Chief Judge for the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Pueblo of Isleta. She is Táchii’nii, born for the Salish and Kootenai, and is originally from Torreón, New Mexico. She earned her J.D. from the University of Iowa.
Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence; Charles M. Brewer Professor of Trial Advocacy; Faculty Director, Indian Legal Program; Director, Indian Legal Clinic, ASU Law
Patty Ferguson-Bohnee has substantial experience in Indian law, election law and policy matters, voting rights, and status clarification of tribes. She is a clinical professor of law, the faculty director of the Indian Legal Program and the director of the Indian Legal Clinic at ASU.
Professor Ferguson-Bohnee has testified before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Louisiana State Legislature regarding tribal recognition, and has successfully assisted four Louisiana tribes in obtaining state recognition. Professor Ferguson-Bohnee has represented tribal clients in administrative, state, federal, and tribal courts, as well as before state and local governing bodies and proposed revisions to the Real Estate Disclosure Reports to include tribal provisions. She has assisted in complex voting rights litigation on behalf of tribes, and she has drafted state legislative and congressional testimony on behalf of tribes with respect to voting rights’ issues.
Before joining ASU in 2007, Professor Ferguson-Bohnee clerked for Judge Betty Binns Fletcher of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and was an associate in the Indian Law and Tribal Relations Practice Group at Sacks Tierney P.A. in Phoenix. As a Fulbright Scholar to France, she researched French colonial relations with Louisiana Indians in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Professor Ferguson-Bohnee, a member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian tribe, serves as the Native Vote Election Protection Coordinator for the State of Arizona.
Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
Steve Hart is a nationally recognized Indian and gaming law lawyer representing tribes and tribal gaming commissions throughout the western United States. He provides insight and strategic advice on issues related to tribal-state compact negotiations, land into trust, and Indian lands determinations. Steve also practices in the area of corporate and government relations, overseeing policy, economic development, and state and federal legislative and administrative practices. He has also assisted with licensing matters, real estate and project development, intellectual property issues, financial transactions, litigation, and general business law matters. In addition, he represents corporations and other business entities in their efforts to shape and comply with government regulations, and in their business interactions with tribes and tribal entities.
Steve is actively involved with a number of tribal business associations, a published author, and frequent presenter at conferences and events, including the Western Indian Gaming Conference, the International Masters of Gaming Law, the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, and the American Bar Association.
Steve served as the director of the Arizona Department of Gaming during the Jane Hull administration. He led the Department through Sunset legislation, budget crises, and high-profile gaming investigations. In addition, he served as Governor Hull’s personal legal advisor on Indian gaming and was on the Governor’s team for negotiation of new Tribal-State gaming compacts with the 22 Tribal governments in Arizona. His work for the state of Arizona culminated with the December 2002 signing of new gaming compacts in Arizona.
Steve has an unyielding passion for advocacy and combines it with thorough research, deep knowledge of compacts, detailed preparation, and an understanding of Native American cultures. His pragmatic approach and experienced perspective are key factors in crafting actionable plans that fund projects, facilitate initiatives, and advance his clients’ economic interests. He inspires trust and his clients appreciate his deep knowledge of traditional values that define them and their objectives.
Steve’s interest in working with tribes began while he was studying developmental economics and doing graduate research assistant work at the University of California, Berkeley. He focused on learning and understanding the issues affecting Native American communities.
Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Steve moved to Arizona at the age of 10. In his free time, he enjoys hiking the Arizona trails and spending time with his wife and dog.
Assistant Dean of Institutional Progress & Executive Director of Indian Legal Program, ASU Law
Rosier is the Assistant Dean of Institutional Progress and the Executive Director of Indian Legal Program (ILP) at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. In this role Rosier leads the ILP’s recruitment and retention efforts and is in charge of the ILP’s development and grant work. Rosier served as Director of the ILP from 2000-2011 and returned as Executive Director in 2014. During her three-year absence from the ILP Rosier served as an Assistant General Counsel for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. Prior to joining ASU, she worked as a tribal prosecutor for the Gila River Indian Community. Rosier received her J.D. from the University of Utah in 1998 and a BA from Capital University in 1993.
Principal Attorney, Navajo Nation Department of Justice
Frances Sjoberg is a principal attorney in Economic and Community Development at Navajo Nation Department of Justice. Previously, she was a partner in Tribal Affairs at Lewis Roca (now Womble Bond). In 2021 and 2022, Frances was named an AZ Business Leader in Native American Law, in 2021 as a Leader of the Year in Law by Arizona Capitol Times, and in 2020 as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona. She received her law degree from University of Arizona, where she was editor-in-chief of Arizona Law Review. She is a Flinn-Brown Fellow with Arizona Center for Civic Leadership. Frances completed training and testing to obtain 2026 Arizona Election Officer Certification.
Assistant Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law
Paul Spruhan is an Assistant Professor in the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program at the University of New Mexico School of Law. From October 2008 to October 2024, he was Assistant Attorney General at the Navajo Nation Department of Justice in Window Rock, Arizona. In that capacity, he litigated civil cases in federal, Navajo Nation, and state courts on a wide range of issues, including tribal sovereignty, environmental regulation, and labor and employment. He also drafted and negotiated contracts and intergovernmental agreements with private parties and state and federal agencies. He received his A.B. in 1995 and his A.M. in 1996 from the University of Chicago. He received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of New Mexico. He and his wife, Bidtah Becker, have two children and live in Fort Defiance on the Navajo Nation.
Assistant Director of the Indian Legal Program, ASU Law
Kristen Talbert is the Assistant Director of the Indian Legal Program at Arizona State University. An enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Kristen brings over fifteen years of experience in nonprofit leadership, case management, data collection, teaching, and program development.
Her career has focused on advancing the Indian Child Welfare Act and connecting American Indian families with resources that support long-term success. She has served as the St. Paul Urban Representative for the Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council at the Minnesota Department of Human Services and as a member of the Indian Education Advisory Council for the Arizona Department of Education. Kristen is currently a premier academic coach for the Native Forward Rising Native Graduates Program.
She earned her MBA with an emphasis in leadership and entrepreneurship from ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business, an MA in K–12 Education with a focus on Indigenous language immersion from the University of St. Thomas, and a BA in American Indian Studies—Dakota Language Track from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.
In 2023, Kristen was honored with the NCAIED 40 Under 40 award for her leadership and impact in Native communities.
Charlaine Tso
Policy Analyst, Office of Navajo Government Development, Navajo Nation Legislative Branch
Ya’át’ééh, my name is Charlaine Tso. I am currently a Policy Analyst with the Office of Navajo Government Development and am originally from Sweetwater, Arizona.
I completed my undergraduate studies at Doane University, where I am currently pursuing an MBA. My academic career included studying abroad in Spain and completing an internship with National Geographic.
In 2019, I was elected to serve on the 24th Navajo Nation Council, representing five chapters across northern Arizona and southern Utah. Following my term, I was selected to serve as Regional Director for the Human Rights Campaign in New Orleans, Louisiana, and served as a consultant for the Navajo Nation Oil & Gas Co.
I have committed nine years to public service, with a previous background in marketing and sales. Upon returning to the Navajo Nation, I felt a greater responsibility and a need to serve in a different public setting, which led me to join the Office of Navajo Government Development.
Senior Research Fellow, Tribal Water Policy, WATTS Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University
Cora Tso is a Senior Research Fellow at Arizona State University (ASU)’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. In this role, Cora works to research, analyze, and develop recommendations related to Arizona Tribal water policy, including analyzing Tribal Nations’ interests, needs and opportunities in regulatory and legislative processes, collaborating with Tribal leadership and representatives, government agencies, and stakeholders in connection with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative (AWII) and building productive, lasting relationships between the Kyl Center and the Tribal water policy and legal community.
Previously, Cora has worked with governmental, private, and non-profit organizations focusing on Indian law, water law, and environmental law and policy matters. Tso is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. She is of the Reed People clan and born for the Black Streaked Wood clan. Her maternal grandparents are of the Bitterwater clan and her paternal grandparents are of the Red House clan. She was born and raised on the Navajo reservation and is originally from Shonto, Arizona. Tso earned her Juris Doctor degree with a Certificate in Indian Law from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU and her Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science and minor American Indian Studies from Barrett, the Honors College at ASU.
Executive Director, Office of Navajo Government Development
Mr. Tsosie is Diyin Nohookáá Diné’é. His clan is Kinyaa’aanii, and he is born for Kinłichíi’nii. His Cheii is Tábąąhí, and his Nalii is Tódích’íi’nii. He is from Tsé Awe’é (Baby Rocks, Arizona).
Mr. Tsosie is the Executive Director of the Office of Navajo Government Development. He graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in Native American Studies and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law. He is a member of the Navajo Bar Association and the Utah State Bar Association.
His legal experience includes serving as General Counsel for Navajo Transitional Energy Company, Attorney General for the Navajo Nation during the Ben Shelly administration, Deputy Attorney General during the Joe Shirley, Jr. administration, and Staff Attorney for both Dine’ Power Authority and Navajo Agricultural Products Industry.
Mr. Tsosie’s primary areas of expertise are Navajo law, Federal Indian Law, and natural resource and energy issues on the Navajo Nation.
Principal Hydrologist, Navajo Nation
Crystal Tulley-Cordova, PhD, MWR, is a Principal Hydrologist in the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources – Water Management Branch. Crystal currently helps secure water rights and develop water infrastructure projects for the Navajo Nation. Her efforts also involve protecting the Navajo Nation’s water rights in the Colorado River Basin. Since 2013, she has worked collaboratively with Navajo Nation partners on water-related research focused on precipitation variability, groundwater sustainability, and watershed studies. She serves on the National Academies’ Water Science and Technology Board and as Vice President of the Colorado River Water Users Association.
Dwight Witherspoon
Attorney, Navajo Nation Department of Justice
Dwight is a member of the Navajo Nation. He is of the Ta’chiinii (Red Running into the Water) Clan. Dwight earned his Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University in May 2022, after serving 8 years on the Navajo Nation Council. This public service led to his interest in water rights. After passing the State and Navajo Bar, Dwight started working for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice in November 2022 in the Human Services Government Unit (HSGU). After working in HSGU for ten months, he transferred to the Water Rights Unit in October 2023. Dwight now leads the Navajo Nation Department of Justice Water Rights Unit since November of 2025.
