Sarah Crawford combines her experience working on both Capitol Hill and in the executive branch with her recently acquired juris doctor from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University to provide tribal clients with the advice necessary to make informed decisions that reflect legal, political, and public policy realities.

During law school, Ms. Crawford’s strong work ethic and legal acumen earned her awards from the National Native American Bar Association, the National Order of Barristers, and the Native American Bar Association of Arizona. In April 2019, she authored “The Year of the Native Voter,” which was published in the Arizona Attorney Magazine, a publication of the State Bar of Arizona. Ms. Crawford also was elected vice president and then later president of the National Native American Law Students Association.

Ms. Crawford strove to supplement her classroom legal education with real world experience   that not only helped her to hone her skills but also made a tangible difference in Indian Country.  She spent last summer working as a legal clerk at the Native American Rights Fund, where she focused on cases related to discriminatory voter identification laws, the protection of ancestral lands, and revisions to a tribal constitution.  Ms. Crawford was also a legal intern at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Office of the Prosecutor where she drafted court motions, filed criminal charges, and represented the Tribe during trial hearings.

Before attending law school, Ms. Crawford spent five years in Washington, D.C. working in federal Indian policy.  She spent several years working for U.S. Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota, where she helped the Senator with his tribal portfolio. She wrote and aided in the introduction of legislation and appropriations provisions to preserve Native languages, provide tribal tax parity, eliminate barriers to economic development, ensure housing grants for Native communities, and retain the protection of Indian arts and crafts.  After Senator Johnson’s retirement, she transitioned to the National Indian Gaming Commission, where she was charged with the agency’s legislative and intergovernmental affairs.  Ms. Crawford was also detailed to the White House to help plan the Tribal Nations Conference, assisting in writing high-level memoranda to federal agency secretaries and President Obama.

Ms. Crawford is a Dakota tribal member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe and grew up on her tribal lands near Sisseton, South Dakota.  In her free time, Ms. Crawford works on beadwork for her powwow regalia. She also loves the outdoors. You will often find her hiking with her two dogs or up in the air as a paragliding pilot.