Navajo Nation Bar Association

The Navajo Nation Bar Association (NNBA) is the mandatory bar association responsible for licensing all legal practitioners who wish to appear in the courts of the Navajo Nation. Formed in 1978, the association operates within a legal framework that blends Anglo-American law with Navajo traditional law, which is rooted in the Nation's matriarchal culture. This integration was formalized in the early 1980s through an agreement to incorporate Navajo customs and traditions into the court system.

Membership in the NNBA is a prerequisite for practice and includes two types of legal practitioners, attorneys with law degrees and tribal court advocates. The tribal court advocate program allows enrolled members of the Navajo Nation to practice without a law degree after passing the bar exam, ensuring that practitioners have an indispensable understanding of Navajo life and culture. The NNBA administers its bar exam semiannually and requires all new members to attend a mandatory course on Navajo history, culture, and traditional law. In addition to licensing, the association holds annual conferences, provides training for the bar exam, and issues publications on Navajo law.

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