Instructor Profile

Instructor: Sally Willett

Judge Willett, a member of the Cherokee Tribe, was the first enrolled Indian woman to become an administrative law judge.  She is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and holds a master's degree in foreign languages with undergraduate degrees in foreign languages and education.  At UCLA, Judge Willett was a participant in the American Indian Law Program through the University of New Mexico and was awarded a scholarship by the Business and Professional Women's Association along with a post-graduate Reginald Hebersmith Fellowship.  Pre-law studies included participation under fellowship in a master-teacher exchange program with the Universidad Industrial de Santaqnder, Colombia, SA and a teaching fellowship at Kansas State Teacher's College where she was an honors graduate.  Undergraduate work was completed at Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas where Judge Willett, an honors student, received a wide variety of awards and honors, including induction into Who's who in American Universities and Colleges.

During law school, Judge Willett clerked at California indian Legal Services and Native American Rights Fund for whom she worked after graduation.  Judge Willett worked for the Office of Rights Protection, Bureau of Indian Affairs before her appointment at Interior as an administrative law judge in November 1977 through October 1996.  At Interior, she was designated one of the outstanding women in the Department of Interior by Manual Lujan, Secretary of Interior.

While at Social Security, Judge Willett has also served on the Department of Interior's Indian probate reinvention task force (Phase II) in 1999 as part of the Department's High Level Implementation Plan.  In February 2001, Judge Willett conducted a demonstration administrative hearing (interpreted) for members of the Supreme Court of the Republic of China followed by a question and answer session at the U.S. Federal District Court, New Orleans.

An essayist, Judge Willett writes extensively on Indian legal, policy and historical issues as they impact contemporary life, sovereignty and jurisdiction in Indian Country.  Apart from writing, Judge Willett's primary work in Indian Country is as a member of the all-volunteer "Indian Land Working Group."   For the working group, she performs technical, legal and simplification analyses of federal Indian legislation, regulations and policy statements for distribution to the Indina communities, organizations and groups.  Judge Willett also does volunteer training for tribes, community members and federal agencies on allotted land, fractionation and Indian estate planning issues. 

Works in progress include: "All My Relations, 2002 historical Calender," "The Cass Lake Rhapsody" (describing jurisdictional problems and issues involved in tribal efforts to acquire and consolidate land).   "The Legal Eagle 2003 Calendar" (listing major Indian court decisions) and "Indian Pursuit" an educational Indian tribial pursuit game.

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