Native American

November 13, 2024
3 Men Sentenced For Fake 'Alaska Stone Arts' Scheme

Three men have been sentenced for scheming to sell hundreds of phony products by passing them off to unsuspecting customers as authentic artwork made by Alaska Natives, the U.S. government said.
November 13, 2024
Indigenous Groups Can Join Colombia's Fight With Glencore

An international tribunal has agreed to allow two Indigenous Wayuu communities to express their views about a massive mining project's water use in an arbitral dispute between commodities giant Glencore International AG and the Republic of Colombia.
November 13, 2024
EPA Tells DC Circ. That Mercury Rule Is Sound

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the D.C. Circuit that opponents of its rule strengthening standards for mercury and other toxic air emissions at power plants are seeking to hamstring the agency with a too-narrow interpretation of the Clean Air Act.
November 13, 2024
Baltimore Wins $266M In McKesson, Cencora Opioid Case

Baltimore has been awarded more than $266 million in damages from drug distributors McKesson and Cencora, which a jury found responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic in the city, the mayor's office announced Tuesday.
November 13, 2024
LNG Co. Says Full DC Circ. Must Revive Texas Project

The company behind a liquefied natural gas project on the Texas Gulf Coast urged the full D.C. Circuit on Wednesday to vacate a panel's ruling nixing its federal approval, citing another panel's decision finding the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations are unenforceable.
November 13, 2024
Bradley Arant Aims To Toss Malpractice Arbitration Claims

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and a firm attorney urged a California federal judge to toss a San Diego-based business consulting firm's lawsuit contending the law firm botched an arbitration proceeding with tribal entities, saying the court lacks personal jurisdiction and is an improper venue as the arbitration and legal work largely took place outside the state.
November 13, 2024
EPA Effluent Rule Is Fatally Flawed, 8th Circ. Told

Republican-led states, utilities and industry groups called on the Eighth Circuit to vacate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule setting new wastewater limitations for coal-fired power plants, saying it is based on economically unavailable technologies in an effort to further the Biden administration's goal of shuttering coal plants.
November 12, 2024
Trump Pick To Lead EPA Is Loyal, Would Learn On The Job

President-elect Donald Trump prioritized loyalty and a demonstrated ability to carry out his priorities with his announcement that he intends to nominate a former congressman from New York state to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
November 12, 2024
Arkansas Fights Bid To Block Cherokee Casino Amendment

Arkansas is looking to dismiss a challenge by two Cherokee Nation businesses that seeks to block an amendment revoking one of the tribal entities' casino gaming license, arguing that "the glaring obstacle" of the Eleventh Amendment bars lawsuits against states in federal court.
November 12, 2024
Kentucky Plunges Into 2nd Challenge To Waters Of US Rule

Kentucky has refiled its lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule defining the scope of the federal government's jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, after the Sixth Circuit found that a federal district judge improperly dismissed the case.
November 12, 2024
Navajo Co. Says Paralegal Blocking Return Of Privileged Docs

A Navajo Nation natural resources company is suing a former paralegal in Colorado state court to enforce a settlement requiring the return of confidential documents that she allegedly emailed to herself, accusing the paralegal of "erecting unreasonable roadblocks" to their agreement.
November 12, 2024
Supreme Court Won't Revive Youth Climate Suit

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will not undo the Ninth Circuit's order allowing the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by youth plaintiffs who accuse the federal government of endangering their futures with policies that exacerbate climate change.
November 08, 2024
Trump's Election Swings The Energy Policy Pendulum Again

The reelection of former President Donald Trump means the energy industry faces yet another drastic shift in U.S. policy, continuing a decadelong pattern of regulatory pendulum swings. Here's a rundown of what the energy industry is in for when Trump reenters the White House.
November 08, 2024
Payments Co. Never Returned $1.5M, Tribal Authority Claims

An Oklahoma tribal financial services authority has sued two owners of a payment processor, alleging that they defrauded the authority out of $1.5 million by confiscating funds purportedly held in reserve before the termination of their relationship.
November 08, 2024
NH Defends Feds' White Mountain Logging Projects

The state of New Hampshire is asking a federal judge to reject a conservation group's bid to block two logging projects the U.S. Forest Service approved for the White Mountain National Forest, arguing that they will deliver needed forest and wildlife habitat improvements.
November 08, 2024
ND Wants To Back Feds In Dakota Access Pipeline Row

North Dakota wants to back the federal government in a challenge by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeking to block a Texas-based energy company from continuing to operate the Dakota Access Pipeline, arguing a shutdown would undermine the state's interests in oil and gas regulation activity.
November 08, 2024
Mark Zuckerberg Beats Liability In Social Media MDL

A California federal judge dismissed claims against Mark Zuckerberg in multidistrict litigation alleging Meta concealed social media's risks to young users, finding that plaintiffs failed to show Zuckerberg directly participated in or authorized the alleged concealment despite his control over the company.
November 07, 2024
Researcher Sues DEA Over Pot Rescheduling Process

A psychedelic researcher has asked a Washington federal judge to block the Drug Enforcement Administration from proceeding with its plan to hold administrative hearings on a proposal to reclassify marijuana, alleging various breaches of administrative law.
November 07, 2024
NM Tribe Settles Land Claim Dispute With Feds

The Pueblo of Jemez and the U.S. government have settled in New Mexico federal court the tribe's claim on land within the Valles Caldera National Preserve, finally agreeing in the 12-year-old dispute that Jemez has aboriginal title to an area known as Banco Bonito.
November 07, 2024
Tribes Make New Push For Voter Access And Representation

Facing long-standing barriers to voting access and a spate of close races, Native Americans ramped up efforts this election cycle to encourage voter turnout, elect Indigenous candidates and highlight the absence of issues affecting Indian Country on the national stage — with mixed results.
November 07, 2024
Apache Say 'Stakes Are Clear' In Oak Flat Land Dispute

The federal government is trying to manufacture problems by claiming that a law aimed at protecting the religious rights of minorities can't apply to later-enacted statutes, an Apache nonprofit has told the U.S. Supreme Court in its bid to save a sacred worship site in Arizona from mining destruction.
November 06, 2024
DOI Signs Bison Conservation Pact With Canada And Mexico

The U.S. Department of the Interior said it has inked a new agreement with Canada and Mexico to work on strengthening conservation of the American bison across its range in North America while focusing on historic Indigenous ties with the species.
November 06, 2024
NYS Says Free Speech Can't Protect Schools In Mascot Ban

The New York State Board of Regents has urged a federal judge to throw out three lawsuits lodged by several school districts over the state's decision to ban the use of Native American mascots and imagery, saying their First Amendment arguments lack merit.
November 06, 2024
Poultry Cos. Can't Nab Quick Appeal Of Pollution Verdict Plan

Tyson, Cargill and other poultry producers have not shown that an immediate appeal of an Oklahoma federal judge's plan to hash out remedies concerning a river pollution trial that took place over a decade ago would "materially advance the ultimate termination of the litigation," the judge ruled.
November 06, 2024
Ariz. Judge Blocks Lithium Exploration Drilling Project

An Arizona federal judge blocked a third phase of a Sandy Valley lithium exploration project Tuesday, ruling that the Bureau of Land Management likely fell short of its duties to weigh potential impacts to a hot spring known as Ha'Kamwe' that is sacred to the Hualapai Indian Tribe.

Expert Analysis

Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
Series

Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron.
E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.
Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.
Series

Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.
How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.
Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
Opinion

Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
Series

Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
Opinion

Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
Series

Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.