Exploring Greater Colorado - Julianne Begay

Colorado Law's "Exploring Greater Colorado" Series is an opportunity to introduce students to attorneys who practice throughout the state. We are grateful to Julianne Begay for providing us with insight into her community and her practice. 

Employer: Southern Ute Indian Tribe
Length of time in practice: 6 years
Local Bar Association: Southwest Colorado Bar Association
Local Judicial District: 6th Judicial District, serving Archuleta, LaPlata, and San Juan Counties
City/Town of Residence: Ignacio, CO

What first attracted you to the area? 

I moved to Southwest Colorado because of my current job, which was my very first job out of law school and I've been here ever since!

What's special about where you live/practice?

Southwest Colorado is home to Colorado's two federally recognized Indian tribes - the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. The area has an incredibly unique history with both tribes and it's always fascinating to deal with legal issues where that history is still relevant.

Tell us about your practice.

I work in the in-house legal department for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, which is similar in some respects to working as a city or county attorney. My practice is very general, however, I've had the opportunity to focus on certain practice areas including environmental law and children's law.

What advice do you have for law students considering opportunities in Greater Colorado?

Don't rule out any particular area when searching for your first job. The most important thing is to get your foot in the door somewhere and begin your law practice. I moved to Southwest Colorado from Phoenix, Arizona. It was a bit challenging to move from a large city to a small town, but now I can't imagine living anywhere else.

May students reach out to you with questions?

Of course! My email address is begay.julianne@gmail.com.