About Us

DNA-People's Legal Services (DNA) is the nation's largest non-profit Native American legal services program. Since its inception, DNA has pursued an aggressive program of advocacy for the disadvantaged and actively promoted community legal education. We assist low-income individuals and families with their most critical legal needs, ensuring a steadfast voice in the justice system for those struggling with the challenges of poverty. We provide multilingual community legal education and work with community groups to ensure that low-income people understand and can exercise their fundamental legal rights. And we actively work to promote tribal sovereignty and strengthen the judicial systems of those tribes living in and around the areas we serve.

Locations
DNA was incorporated as a non-profit legal service program in 1967. Attorneys began serving clients in the Navajo Nation, from an office in Window Rock, Arizona. Since that time, DNA has grown to nine branch offices on and near the Navajo and Hopi Nations - six on the Navajo Nation, one in Keams Canyon on the Hopi Reservation, and two off-reservation offices in Farmington, New Mexico and in Flagstaff, Arizona. In addition to serving the Navajo and Hopi tribes, DNA serves five additional tribes - the Hualapai, Havasupai, Kaibab Paiute and San Juan Southern Paiute in Arizona, and the Jicarilla Apache in New Mexico.

One of the most unique aspects of delivering services in this area is the absence of other legal resources of any sort. On the entire Navajo Nation there are only about half a dozen lawyers in private practice, most of who work for large institutional clients. As a result, not only the elderly, the homeless, and battered women and children, but virtually our entire client community has no access to legal assistance other than from DNA.

Staff and Board
DNA employs attorneys and tribal court advocates to provide legal assistance and representation. Tribal court advocates are professionals who are licensed to practice law by a tribal court. The Director of Litigation oversees all legal work, while legal secretaries, paralegals and financial specialists provide expert assistance to ensure clients receive high quality legal services. DNA's Executive Director reports to a Board of Directors, comprised of attorneys appointed by various bar associations throughout or service area, plus eight members representing the communities DNA serves. All of DNA's tribal court advocates and nearly all of our support staff are either Navajo or Hopi. Well over one-half of DNA's employees are Native American. DNA provides training to ensure that all of our staff is familiar with the cultures of the Native populations we serve. Many staff are bilingual in English and Navajo, Hopi and Spanish to assist clients who do not speak English.

Tribal Court and Community Development
DNA has been instrumental in the development of the Navajo Nation's court system, which serves as a model for tribes across the nation. Native American advocates and attorneys who have worked for DNA have gone on to serve their tribes in many capacities, including as judges and supreme court justices, attorneys general, and even as tribal president. DNA has handled numerous landmark cases in Indian, land resources, consumer, and family law. A DNA attorney drafted the first Navajo Nation legislation to provide legal remedies to victims of domestic violence. DNA has assisted local communities to establish non-profit corporations, such as a battered women's shelter, a women's crisis center and a cooperative rug auction. The broad community support DNA enjoys is attributable, in part, to these achievements.

Legal Services
DNA provides free legal assistance to qualifying individuals in many areas of law - consumer, housing, family, health, employment, public benefits, environment, education, and youth. To request services, please call the office nearest to you for information about the days and times that DNA staff will conduct client interviews (intake). Intake times may vary by office location. Individuals with circumstances that prevent their travel to an office location may call for assistance. There is a list of offices with contact phone numbers in this brochure. In addition to assisting low income individuals, DNA advocates on behalf of underrepresented communities through impact litigation.

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