In law school, Ms. Drent served the Indian community as a law clerk for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in Arizona, and the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder, Colorado. In addition, Ms. Drent participated in the ASU Native American Law Student Association’s Indian Legal Assistance Program, which offered free legal assistance to Indians in Phoenix, Arizona.

Following law school, Ms. Drent continued her service to tribes and tribal organizations in private practice, where she gained considerable experience in Indian child welfare, natural resources, trust land acquisition, taxation, commercial transactions, property rights, and administrative law and procedures.

Ms. Drent joined Alexander, Berkey, Williams & Weathers in February 2003, and works in all areas of the firm’s practice, including employment, litigation, taxation, Indian child welfare, health, housing, Indian self-determination, and other management and operation matters of tribal organizations and tribal governments. Ms. Drent’s work includes reviewing and drafting bylaws, manuals, codes, intergovernmental agreements and contracts, as well as advising on matters involving general administration and operation.

Ms. Drent devotes a significant part of her practice to Indian child welfare matters. She appears regularly in state and tribal court child dependency proceedings, and works with state and local governments to establish protocols for handling matters involving Indian children. Ms. Drent is also part of statewide intertribal task force to improve California’s compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, and assists a tribal client with the development of an intertribal court for Indian child welfare-related matters.