Paul Spruhan

Navajo Nation Department of Justice

is Visiting Assistant Professor in the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program at the University of New Mexico School of Law. From October 2008 to October 2024, he was Assistant Attorney General at the Navajo Nation Department of Justice in Window Rock, Arizona. In that capacity, he litigated civil cases in federal, Navajo Nation, and state courts on a wide range of issues, including tribal sovereignty, environmental regulation, and labor and employment. He also drafted and negotiated contracts and intergovernmental agreements with private parties and state and federal agencies. He received his A.B. in 1995 and his A.M. in 1996 from the University of Chicago. He received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of New Mexico. He and his wife, Bidtah Becker, have two children and live in Fort Defiance on the Navajo Nation.