Sherilee "Leesa" Van Zandt, Legal Intern

February will be a big month for CIRI legal intern Leesa Van Zandt, who will be taking the Alaska State bar exam in hopes of practicing law in the state of Alaska.

Van Zandt, who was born in Anchorage, is the daughter of CIRI shareholder Gertrude Ah'nee and is a descendant of Inupiat heritage. At the early age of 12, she decided to become a lawyer because she wanted to advocate for those who had been discriminated against and whose rights had been violated. She was inspired by the positive and courageous example her mother and father had set for her. While in high school, she directed her studies toward law and history. She graduated from Service High School and attended the University of Alaska Anchorage where, in 1996, she received a bachelor's degree in justice with a history minor. Following college, she worked for Southcentral Foundation's New Beginnings program making weekly home visits to at-risk expectant mothers.

It was in 1997 when Van Zandt finally decided to attend law school and was accepted to Gonzaga University in Washington. In May 2000, she completed her Juris Doctorate and her thesis studying the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, in which she contrasted and compared Alaska Natives' land claims settlement with the Australian aboriginal land claim status and process.

While at Gonzaga University, she met her husband Kevin Van Zandt. On Sept. 2, they married in a ceremony held at Alyeska Resort.

Though Van Zandt ­ a goal oriented individual ­ works hard to achieve her aims, she believes it's important to take the time to appreciate and enjoy life. In her spare time, she runs on Anchorage's picturesque trails with her dog Moose. Although she averages 100 miles per month, or 25 miles per week, she considers running a form of meditation. She looks forward to accomplishing her next milestone.

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