Attorney Arlinda Locklear will be the featured speaker at the College of Charleston’s May 12 commencement, the College announced Friday. on May 12, 2012. Locklear will speak at both the morning and afternoon ceremonies.
A 1973 graduate of the College, Locklear began her career as an attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. During her 35-year career in federal Indian law, she has represented tribes throughout the country in federal and state courts on treaty claims to water and land, taxation disputes with states and local authorities, reservation boundary issues, and federal recognition of tribes.
In 1984, Locklear appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court, where she successfully challenged South Dakota’s authority to prosecute a Native American for on-reservation conduct. In doing so, she was the first Native American woman to appear before the Court.
She has received numerous awards for fostering the development of women, among them a 2008 honor for her contributions to the American Indian community by the Conference of American Indian Women of Proud Nations.
She will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
From CofC Media Relations