Walker Law LLC, Washington DC

Liz Walker’s legal practice started out traditionally. A native of Virginia, she attended the University of Virginia, worked for a Virginia Congressman after college, and moved to a New York law firm as a paralegal where she was urged to go to law school. She attended Virginia’s then-new George Mason Law School near DC, allowing her to take part-time jobs at the Justice Department. She clerked for a Federal District Court Judge, was recruited by a large regional law firm, and later found herself as an attorney for Mobil Oil Corporation.

By her thirties, Liz reckoned her success on the fact that she was one of the first women at every stage of her career. She credits this to a childhood vision of the future. At age nine she announced to her family that she would attend the University of Virginia; at that time, however, it was an all-male institution. Liz surprised her family when she was accepted in one of the very first classes of women at the University - called The Trailblazers because of the strong resistance they encountered from the State’s restrictive co-education policy.

Shifting to Native American Law may seem odd for a Southern, nonnative woman and educated at traditional Virginia schools; but, in reality, this path fit her personality as she has always taken a road somewhat less traveled. She owes her passion to her father who served in the Virginia legislature for 36 years; recognizing her need for adventure, he announced, “Liz is never afraid to take on something new.” He understood her unconventional nature.

Kiros Auld and Liz Walker with a map of their constituents (Photography © Ralph A. Johnson)

Mobil Oil understood this too; when they transferred her to California as their Government Affairs Director, she became interested in western history and the story and plight of the American Indian. When she left Mobil to return to DC, her friends referred her to a Pro Bono case involving a Navajo family resisting involuntary relocation by the federal government. Her success there led to another case from a well-known tribal leader seeking to resolve a Constitutional dispute for a successful “Gaming” tribe. She took on these cases while practicing in traditional DC firms, but eventually, it became clear that if she was to work on Native American issues, she would have to break from traditional law practice.

Today, Liz has a broad Native American law and policy practice that takes her all over the country. She is nationally recognized for representing six Virginia Indian Tribes on legislation in Congress seeking federal recognition of treaties. In 2006, she traveled with the Tribes to England to visit the gravesite of Pocahontas, the internationally known daughter of Chief Powhatan – who welcomed John Smith and the settlers of Jamestown. Liz is proud to have represented the Tribes in telling their story, which in turn, has allowed them to emerge from the shadows of colonial history and obtain what is rightfully theirs through treaties hundreds of years old – but rarely enforced.