Native American

  • April 02, 2024

    Alaska Judge Tosses Opioid Nuisance Case Against Pharmacies

    Retail pharmacies including Walgreens Co. and Walmart Inc. have escaped a suit brought by Alaska in state court over their role in the opioid epidemic after a judge found the state's public nuisance claims were a "bridge too far."

  • April 02, 2024

    Casino Outfits Say High Court Must Review Tribal Betting Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court is the correct venue for a case by two casino operators that seek to undo a tribal gaming compact in Florida now that the state's Supreme Court has refused to take up the case, one of the companies has told the nation's highest court.

  • April 02, 2024

    Okla. High Court Denies Gov.'s Veto Suit Over Tribal Compacts

    The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Gov. Kevin Stitt's suit against state lawmakers over two veto overrides on tribal tobacco and motor vehicle compacts, saying the executive branch doesn't have exclusive authority to negotiate state-tribal compacts.

  • April 01, 2024

    Forest Service Must Revisit Changes To Timber Standards

    An Oregon federal judge has agreed to set aside an environmental analysis for timber standard changes the U.S. Forest Service approved for millions of acres of federal land across eastern Oregon and Washington, finding no errors in a magistrate judge's conclusion that the agency violated multiple federal statutes.

  • April 01, 2024

    Feds Catch Win In Alaska Subsistence Fishing Dispute

    A federal judge has granted the U.S. government's bid for an early win in its challenge against Alaska over subsistence fishing rules in the Kuskokwim River, which runs through the state's southwest region, ruling that the United States is entitled to a permanent injunction.

  • April 01, 2024

    Tribe, Allies Defend Standing To Fight Corps' Fish Farm Permit

    The Army Corps of Engineers is trying to "muddy the water" to fend off a challenge to a nationwide permit opening ocean waters to aquaculture operations, failing to justify why the permit shouldn't be scrapped, the Quinault Indian Nation and nonprofit allies have told a Washington federal judge.

  • April 01, 2024

    BNSF Says Tribe Can't Claim $1.3B For Oil Train Trespassings

    BNSF Railway Co. has asserted a Washington tribe is not entitled to $1.3 billion for the shipping of crude oil across its reservation for nearly a decade, arguing the tribe wants to strip railroad profits from a 1,500-mile route when the illegal trespassing occurred across an easement less than a mile long.

  • April 01, 2024

    SunZia Power Line Challenge Is Ripe, Arizona Tribes Say

    A coalition of Arizona tribes and conservation groups challenging the federal government's green light for SunZia Transmission LLC to start building a stretch of its 550-mile, high-voltage power line are defending the timeliness of their bid to halt work and compel the Bureau of Land Management to identify and safeguard cultural sites and sacred areas in the San Pedro Valley.

  • April 01, 2024

    High Court Won't Hear Mass. Residents' Tribal Land Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition by a group of Massachusetts residents seeking to reverse a ruling that allowed the Department of the Interior to take 321 acres into trust for the development of a billion-dollar tribal hotel and casino.

  • March 29, 2024

    Rural Carriers Worry FCC Broadband Maps 'Vastly' Inaccurate

    Rural wireless carriers are concerned Federal Communications Commission maps do not accurately depict where mobile broadband service is available, putting federal support funds at risk.

  • March 29, 2024

    Bill Would Ease Native American Travel Across Canadian Border

    A bipartisan bill recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would simplify the process for indigenous community members to cross the U.S.-Canadian border by eliminating a blood quantum requirement and allowing them to use tribal-issued identification as proof of membership in a federally recognized tribe.

  • March 29, 2024

    NTIA Issues $811M In State Digital Equity Funding

    The Biden administration is releasing the allocation of the first $811 million of the $1.25 billion in digital equity funding it plans on providing states, territories and tribes to ensure everyone within their borders has the ability and skill to access all the internet has to offer.

  • March 29, 2024

    Tribes Lose Challenge To Minnesota Water Quality Regs

    A Minnesota federal judge on Friday shot down a suit by two Native American tribes accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of allowing the state to adopt less protective water quality standards that could harm their reservations' wildlife and crops.

  • March 29, 2024

    No Need To Revisit 'Cultural Resource' Ruling, Teck Argues

    A Teck Resources unit is urging a Washington federal judge to reject the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's request to reconsider an order dismissing its claims for so-called tribal service losses stemming from a smelter's Columbia River pollution, saying the tribe erroneously argues limitations on natural resource damages don't apply to tribes.

  • March 29, 2024

    Texas Farmers Sue USDA Over Sex, Race Disaster Aid Priorities

    A group of Texas farmers is asking a federal district judge to declare the U.S. Department of Agriculture's disaster assistance and pandemic relief programs unconstitutional, alleging in a complaint Friday that the government distributes the aid based on sex and race in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

  • March 29, 2024

    Red States Say Court Must Lift LNG Export Review Pause

    A group of 16 Republican-led states has urged a Louisiana federal judge to immediately lift the U.S. Department of Energy's pause on reviewing applications to export liquefied natural gas to non-free trade agreement countries, saying it's clearly unlawful and exceeds the department's authority.

  • March 29, 2024

    Feds, Energy Cos. Clash Over Osage Wind Farm Damages Trial

    The U.S. government and Enel Green Power North America Inc. are both pushing to shape a damages trial set for May after a federal judge ordered the ejectment of more than 80 wind turbines the companies installed on Osage Nation land in Oklahoma without required mineral leases.

  • March 28, 2024

    Montana High Court Says Laws Hinder Native Voting Rights

    The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down four state laws that challengers claimed hindered Native Americans and students from participating in the state's election process, affirming a lower court's ruling that the 2021 legislation violated fundamental voting rights.

  • March 28, 2024

    Kauai Groups, Hawaii Settle Suit Over Hydro Project Review

    Two West Kauai community groups say they've reached an agreement with the state of Hawaii and a utility to settle their suit over the environmental review for a hydroelectric development that threatened to divert large amounts of water from the Waimea River watershed.

  • March 28, 2024

    Advocates Push For More Hot Spot Options If E-Rate Expands

    The Federal Communications Commission needs to consider a tech-neutral approach to funding wireless hot spots in schools to make sure that low-income and rural areas do not get left out if mobile carrier signals aren't adequate, an advocacy group said.

  • March 28, 2024

    Foxwoods Tribal Owner Loses $76M COVID Insurance Appeal

    The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, did not meet a key burden when suing its insurer for more than $76 million in losses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state's intermediate-level appeals court ruled Thursday in declining to revive the litigation.

  • March 27, 2024

    History Confirms Ruling In ND Tribes' VRA Win, Feds Say

    The federal government is urging the Eighth Circuit to uphold a ruling confirming that a North Dakota redistricting effort violated the Voting Rights Act, arguing that if the appellate court were to reverse course it could strike a grievous blow that could affect seven states and thousands of political subdivisions within its circuit.

  • March 27, 2024

    SD Gov. Seeks Federal Funds Audit Of Tribal Law Enforcement

    South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has asked President Joe Biden's administration to conduct a thorough audit of federal funding for the state's nine Native American tribes, saying additional law enforcement resources are urgently needed on reservation lands.

  • March 27, 2024

    Tribes Want Climate Change Row With Oil Cos. In State Court

    Two Native American tribes urged a Washington federal court to remand their consolidated case against ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 back to state court, arguing they've only asserted state-law causes of action.

  • March 27, 2024

    Cannabis Caucus Dems Urge Garland To Restore Pot Protections

    The two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives' Congressional Cannabis Caucus blasted Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday for not reissuing "overdue" protections for marijuana businesses acting in compliance with state and tribal law.

Expert Analysis

  • The Road Ahead For EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts

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    Recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency actions could help the Biden administration's goals of decarbonizing the electricity sector, but they will have to potentially overcome technical, legal and political challenges, says Andrew Shaw at Dentons.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Exposing Their Firms To Cyberattacks

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    Attorneys are the weakest link in their firms' cyberdefenses because hackers often exploit the gap between individuals’ work and personal cybersecurity habits, but there are some steps lawyers can take to reduce the risks they create for their employers, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy & Protection.

  • What Purdue Ch. 11 Means For Future Of Third-Party Releases

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    The Second Circuit’s highly anticipated ruling approving Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan establishes stringent factors that lower courts must consider before approving nonconsensual third-party releases, but the circuit split on the matter means the issue is far from resolved, say Gregory Hesse and Kollin Bender at Hunton.

  • Virginia 'Rocket Docket' Slowdown Is Likely A Blip

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    After being the fastest or second-fastest federal civil trial court for 14 straight years, the Eastern District of Virginia has slid to 18th place, but the rocket docket’s statistical tumble doesn't mean the district no longer maintains a speedy civil docket, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • NEPA Reforms May Aid Project Speed, But Red Tape Remains

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    The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 included amendments to the National Environmental Policy Act that are designed to streamline the federal environmental review process for infrastructure projects, but coordination with agencies and early stakeholder engagement are still likelier to lead to successful outcomes than time and page limits, say Jena Maclean and Stephanie Regenold at Perkins Coie.

  • Takeaways From Tribes' High Court Adoption Case Victory

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Haaland v. Brackeen, upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act, leaves the door open for individuals to bring equal protection claims, but generally bodes well for future tribal issues that reach the court, says Sarah Murray at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • 5 Management Tips To Keep Law Firm Merger Talks Moving

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    Many law firm mergers that make solid business sense still fall apart due to the costs and frustrations of inefficient negotiations, but firm managers can increase the chance of success by effectively planning and executing merger discussions, say Lisa Smith and Kristin Stark at Fairfax Associates.

  • Opinion

    Okla. Bill Represents Restorative Justice For Tribal Students

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    Oklahoma law will soon confer Native American students with the right to wear traditional regalia during graduation ceremonies, removing uncertainty for Native American students and providing long-overdue restorative justice in the relationship between tribes and schools, says Bree Black Horse at Kilpatrick.

  • Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention

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    The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Timeliness, Discovery, Registration Gap

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Michaela Thornton at MoFo examines recent decisions from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Government Accountability Office that consider the timeliness of a protest filing, discovery beyond the administrative record and a lapse in System for Award Management registration.

  • Sackett's US Waters Redefinition Is A Boon For Developers

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent landmark ruling in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should reduce real estate project delays, development costs and potential legal exposures — but developers must remain mindful of how new federal and state regulations governing wetlands could affect their plans, say attorneys at Morris Manning.

  • Opinion

    Despite Its Plan Objections, UST Also Won In Purdue Ch. 11

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision approving Purdue Pharma’s reorganization plan is a win even for the dissenting Office of the U.S. Trustee because the decision sets extremely stringent guidelines for future use of nonconsensual third-party releases, say Edward Neiger and Jennifer Christian at Ask.

  • Murdaugh Trials Offer Law Firms Fraud Prevention Reminders

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    As the fraud case against Alex Murdaugh continues to play out, the evidence and narrative presented at his murder trial earlier this year may provide lessons for law firms on implementing robust internal controls that can detect and prevent similar kinds of fraud, say Travis Casner and Helga Zauner at Weaver and Tidwell.

  • Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic

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    Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.

  • Tackling Judge-Shopping Concerns While Honoring Localism

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    As the debate continues over judge-shopping and case assignments in federal court, policymakers should look to a hybrid model that preserves the benefits of localism for those cases that warrant it, while preventing the appearance of judge-shopping for cases of a more national or widespread character, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

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