Support Huerta Scholars

Support the next generation of Indigenous lawyers!

The Huerta Scholarship provides vital support to Indigenous law students attending the University of Arizona College of Law. Indigenous students can realize their dreams of attending law school thanks to the support of Huerta Scholarship donors like you!

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Huerta Scholarship. With your support over the last 10 years, we have awarded 68 Indigenous law students with Huerta Scholarships, totaling $195,550 in Huerta Scholarship funding to help Indigenous law students succeed.

The Huerta Scholarship was established in 2014 in honor of Judge Lawrence Huerta. Judge Huerta, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, was the first Native American student to graduate from University of Arizona Law (Class of ’53) and be licensed to practice law in Arizona. Throughout his illustrious career, Judge Huerta worked tirelessly to increase access to education, promote tribal self-determination and lead Native nation-building efforts.

In the seven decades since Huerta graduated from University of Arizona Law, more than 200 Native American and Indigenous students have followed in his footsteps, earning law degrees and making remarkable achievements within their chosen career fields.

Your gift provides vital support and reduces the stress of starting law school by helping students pay for tuition, moving expenses, books and other expenses related to starting law school.

Invest in the success of Indigenous law students by donating to the Huerta Scholarship!

Invest in the Success of Indigenous Law Students

Please support the next generation of Indigenous lawyers like Kaylee by donating to the Huerta Scholarship!

Judge Huerta’s Legacy

The Honorable Carrasco Lawrence Huerta (‘53) passed away on May 25, 2022, at the age of 97.

Throughout Judge Huerta's illustrious career, he worked tirelessly to increase access to education for Indigenous communities and promote tribal sovereignty. During his time as chancellor of Navajo Community College (now Diné College), Huerta helped to expand its reach and impact within the Navajo community, establishing the institution as a pillar of the Native nation-building activities of the Navajo Nation.

Huerta was also instrumental in the drafting of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s constitution and played a pivotal role in the tribe’s successful effort to gain federal recognition, extending significant rights to the tribe and its members. Today, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe has one of the most robust governments and tribal court systems in the nation. 

Committed to a life of public service, Huerta worked in various capacities for the state of Arizona including as the assistant attorney general, as a member of the State Industrial Commission and as a judge on the Maricopa County Superior Court. In recognition of the countless lives he impacted, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from University of Arizona Law in 2015, the highest honor bestowed by the college. 

Honor the legacy of Judge Huerta by investing in the future generation of Indigenous lawyers!