“I hope to center my career on the representation of Native nations and peoples with a focus on litigation, and this externship has provided me with a window into the federal judicial process as well as real-world experience in polishing my legal research, analysis and writing skills, which are certain to be applicable to a career in federal Indian law.”
Julie Combs’ intellectual brilliance and powerful work ethic have ensured this citizen of the Cherokee Nation has made the most of her years at TU Law. President of the school’s Native American Law Student Association and Public Interest Board, research assistant for Professor Aila Hoss, article selection editor on the Tulsa Law Review: Combs’ list of accomplishments is long.
During her final semester of law school, Combs worked as a judicial extern for the Northern District of Oklahoma. In that role, she focused on observing and inquiring into the judicial process of federal courts. She also provided assistance to Magistrate Judge Christine Little and her career law clerk by summarizing and analyzing cases, researching legal questions and drafting bench memoranda, rulings, orders and opinions – in addition to attending hearings and sentencings.
This externship was particularly instrumental for Combs because it gave her real-world preparation for a career practicing as an associate at Pipestream and Nagle, P.C., a Tulsa firm that specializes in the representation of Tribal governments and enterprises in federal courts.