As director of the State-Tribal Institute, Irene Kawanabe supports the Quad Caucus, Women’s Legislative Network and the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators. Prior to joining NCSL in 2007, Kawanabe served as the director of public interest at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and the associate director of the Colorado Lawyers Committee. She earned her undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, her master’s degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she was a Chancellor’s Scholar.