Mica Llerandi
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Tribal Legal Development Clinic Director

Mica Llerandi (Diné/Navajo) is the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Director of the UCLA Tribal Legal Development Clinic at UCLA School of Law.  She previously worked as a Senior Attorney at California Tribal Families Coalition where she worked on Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), tribal child welfare, and California dependency matters.

Llerandi was a staff attorney at California Indian Legal Services where she worked on a variety of legal matters, including American Indian Probate Reform Act wills, ICWA cases, administering tribal elections, and code development. Llerandi also previously worked as a domestic violence attorney on the Navajo Nation with DNA-People's Legal Services, as a deputy prosecutor with the Gila River Indian Community, and as a guardian ad litem on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.  She also served as an attorney with Children’s Legal Services of San Diego where she represented minors in dependency cases.

Llerandi received her B.A. at Yale University and her J.D. at University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

More Information

Rue Cepeda
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Tribal Legal Development Program Administrator

Rue Cepeda (Querétaro Hñöhñö) is Program Administrator for the Native Nations Law and Policy Center and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Tribal Legal Development Clinic at UCLA Law.

As an alumna of California State University, Long Beach, she brings with her a B.A. in Psychology, and a Certificate in American Indian and Indigenous Studies. During her time at the university, she served as the Coordinator for the Puvungna Cultural Resource Center, serving all of the program and event needs for American Indian students; as well as the school's five cultural identity centers, through the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Rue was an Audience Researcher for educational programs at Rancho Los Alamitos; an archaeological site for the Gabrielino-Tongva; where elementary students learn from tribal elders.

Rue also serves as a recurring workshop leader for International Indigenous Youth Council - Los Angeles, and Esperanza Community Housing Center.

The American Indian Studies program and the School of Law offer a concurrent degree program whereby students may pursue the Master of Arts and the Juris Doctor degrees at the same time, thus completing both degrees in 4 years. Please note: The Law School is on a semester basis and the MA program is on a quarter basis.

Students must apply both to UCLA School of Law and directly to the UCLA Graduate Division for American Indian Studies. Applicants must meet the law school and department's requirements and deadlines.

Admission is based on successful entrance into each program and varies year to year. 

4 years on a full-time basis.

Degree programs at UCLA School of Law are offered on a full-time basis only. There are no evening or summer study programs available.

Satisfactory completion of (i) at least eighty-seven (87) Law School semester units, (including the first-year curriculum, specified Indian Law courses and elective courses), and (ii) at least twenty-eight (28) non-law American Indian Studies quarter units (including certain required courses and a thesis) is required.

Law students are responsible for tracking their own degree progress; however, you will have a faculty advisor for American Indian Studies.

Yes, you can apply to enter the MA in AIS as a law student. You may also apply to enter the JD program as an MA student.