Postponed: Dean Leeds Talk on Politics, Law and the Cherokee Experience

University Relations

Dean Stacy Leeds of the School of Law.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, "The Art of Law and Politics: The Cherokee Experience," which had been scheduled for today, has been postponed. An update will run if the event is rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas School of Law Dean Stacy Leeds will present “The Art of Law and Politics: The Cherokee Experience” at 3 p.m. Monday, April 24, in the Helen Robson Walton Reading Room in Mullins Library. The presentation will cover Cherokee law and politics over time – both the historic and contemporary Cherokee experience. Art, literature and political satire will frame the discussion. This event is free and open to the public.

"The Cherokee experience has involved both a responsive posture to U.S. law and policy and, most importantly to Cherokee people, an evolving set of Cherokee legal and political norms that evolve organically," said Leeds.  

Leeds became dean and professor of law at the School of Law in 2011 and has received many honors for her teaching, scholarship and administrative vision throughout her academic career. She has a strong record of public service and is currently a member of the board of directors for Arvest Bank in Fayetteville and the American Indian Graduate Center. Previous appointments have included boards for corporations and academic institutions, as a member and officer on national commissions and as a justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. She received a Master of Laws from the University of Wisconsin, Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa, Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. Leeds, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is the only female American Indian law school dean in the United States.

This event concludes University Libraries’ year-long initiative, “Explore Native American Storytelling through Arts, Literature, and Culture,” which has featured guest speakers and rotating exhibits throughout the 2016-17 academic year.

The exhibit “Stories, Vision and Memory: Contemporary Southeastern Indian Art” featuring art by Bobby Martin, Erin Shaw and Tony Tiger will be on display in the lobby level of Mullins Library through April 26. “Native Representation: Artifacts from Observers and Creators of American Indian Culture” is a newer exhibit featuring rare Native American books that will be on display in the lobby level of Mullins Library for the remainder of the academic year.

About University Libraries: Located at the heart of campus, David W. Mullins Library is the university’s main research library. Branch libraries include the Robert A. and Vivian Young Law Library, the Fine Arts Library, the Physics Library, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Library. The Libraries provide access to more than 2.3 million volumes and 83,500 journals, and also offer individual and group research help, study spaces, computer labs with printing and scanning, interlibrary loan and RazorRush services, and cultural exhibits and events. The Libraries’ Special Collections unit acquires, preserves, and provides access to materials on Arkansas and the region, its customs and people, and its cultural, physical, and political climate. Visit the Libraries’ webpage to learn more about services and collections.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.