Staff Attorney, Navajo Nation Judicial Branch

Shawn Attakai is Bit’ahnii and Tabaaha, married with children to Tó Aheedliinii. Shawn is fluent in the Diné language and has been practicing as traditional Diné practitioner for almost two decades.  He graduated from Dartmouth College (BA ’95) and ASU College of Law (JD ’00). Mr. Attakai holds Navajo and Arizona bar licenses, is a peacetime Marine veteran, and has been an attorney for two decades in various capacities including court attorney, associate, and criminal defense. Recently, Mr. Attakai was a Yavapai-Apache Nation associate judge. He currently serves as a Vice-President for the Navajo Nation Bar Association, and an Alumni Council Representative for the Native American Alumni Association of Dartmouth. As a part of the training committee, Mr. Attakai helped develop the Four Directions approach, a legal methodology based on traditional Diné Bibeehaz’aanii principles, and a problem-solving approach founded on the four sacred directions that separates the Diné legal system from other jurisdictions.