Stacy Leeds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stacy L. Leeds
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| Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation | |
| In office 2002 – December 2006 |
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| Succeeded by | Troy Wayne Poteete |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1971 (age 53–54) |
| Citizenship | United States Cherokee Nation |
| Education | Washington University (B.A.) University of Tulsa (J.D.) University of Tennessee (M.B.A.) University of Wisconsin (M.L.) |
Stacy L. Leeds, born in 1971, is a well-known American law professor and a former Supreme Court Justice for the Cherokee Nation. She made history as the first Indigenous woman to lead a law school when she was the Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law from 2011 to 2018. In 2024, she was chosen to join the American Philosophical Society.
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Stacy Leeds's School Journey
Stacy Leeds studied at several universities. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She then went on to get her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Tulsa, which is a law degree. She also earned a Master of Laws degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from the University of Tennessee.
Her Career in Law and Education
Stacy Leeds is a respected leader in law and higher education. She knows a lot about American Indian Law, how tribal governments work, and the history of Cherokee law.
Serving as a Judge
Currently, Leeds serves as a chief judge for the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation's District Court. She is also an associate judge for the Kaw Nation's Supreme Court. In addition, she is the chief justice for the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma's Supreme Court.
She also helps guide other judges. She is on the board of the National American Indian Court Judge's Association. She also serves on the tribal advisory board for the National Judicial College.
Stacy Leeds made history in 2002. She was the first woman ever to become a Supreme Court Justice for the Cherokee Nation. She served in this important role until 2006. In the past, she has also been a special judge for the Muscogee Creek Nation's District Court. She was also an associate judge for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians's Court of Appeals.
Leading Law Schools
From 2011 to 2018, Leeds was the Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law. Before that, she worked at the University of Kansas. There, she was a professor of law and helped lead academic affairs. She also directed the Tribal Law and Government Center at the university. Earlier in her career, Leeds taught law at the University of North Dakota. She also directed the Northern Plains Indian Law Center.
From 2017 to 2020, she was the first Vice Chancellor for Economic Development at the University of Arkansas. In this role, she helped the university work with people, businesses, and governments. She worked with the university's different schools to help the community and economy.
In 2018, Leeds became a professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is part of their Indian Legal Program.
Awards and Recognitions
Stacy Leeds has received many honors for her work. In 2008, she was given the Fletcher Fellowship. She was also named a nonresident fellow at the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University that same year. When she taught at the University of Wisconsin, she was a William H. Hastie Fellow.
In 2006, Leeds received the AALS Clyde Ferguson Award. This award recognized her excellent teaching, service, and scholarship. At the University of Kansas, she received the Immel Award for Teaching Excellence. She has also been named Alumni of the Year by the National Native American Law Students Association.
About Her Life
Stacy Leeds grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Books She Has Written
Stacy Leeds has written several books about law, especially American Indian Law:
- Leeds, Stacy L. and Angelique Townsend Eaglewoman. Mastering American Indian Law. 2013.
- Leeds, Stacy L. American Indian Property. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-59460-262-7
- Leeds, Stacy L., Darrell Dowty, Darell Matlock, and the Cherokee Nation. In the Judicial Appeals Tribunal of the Cherokee Nation: Lucy Allen, petitioner, v. Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, Lela Ummerteskee, registrar, and registration committee, respondents. Tahlequah, OK: Cherokee Nation, 2006.
- Leeds, Stacy L. Cross Jurisdictional Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 2009.
See also
