Mari Hulbutta’s path from Edmond, Oklahoma, to Columbia Law School to her new position at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton was far from well-worn. Hulbutta, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, had no relatives in the profession, and Edmond, an Oklahoma City suburb, is hardly teeming with Big Law alums. 

As she awaits her start date at Sheppard Mullin in Century City, California—the timing is still uncertain thanks to the COVID-19 crisis—The American Lawyer caught up with Hulbutta back in her native Oklahoma to discuss how she landed her role with one of the premiere Native American practices in the United States, and what it might take to open more opportunities for others like her.