Nadine Padilla
Assistant Professor of Law
Contact Information
Ph.:
505-277-5723
Office:
3114
npadilla@law.unm.edu
Profile
Professor Padilla teaches courses at the intersection of Indian Law and Environmental Law, including Indian Water Law, Tribal Natural and Cultural Resources Law, and Environmental Justice. She also teaches in the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section in the Law Clinic.Her research focuses on environmental issues impacting tribal communities, including uranium issues on the Navajo Nation, the protection of sacred sites, and the federal government’s trust obligations to tribal nations as it relates to ensuring healthy and safe environments for tribal communities.
Professor Padilla serves as an Associate Justice for the Pueblo of Isleta’s Appellate Court and as a Board Member for DNA Legal Services, a non-profit providing legal services to the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
Professor Padilla is a UNM School of Law alum and graduated with the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Certificate and Clinical Honors. Prior to joining the UNMSOL faculty, she served in an appointed position as the Deputy Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department. She practiced environmental law with a non-profit environmental law firm in Santa Fe and brings over two decades of experience working with tribes and environmental justice communities throughout our state. Nadine Padilla is Navajo and Pueblo (Isleta/Laguna) from Bluewater Lake, NM.
