Native American

June 12, 2024
Oil Cos. Ignore Precedent In Climate Change Row, Tribes Say

Two Washington tribes seeking to remand their consolidated cases against several oil industry giants to state court say the defendants' arguments of complete preemption in their efforts to keep the climate change litigation in the federal circuit misconstrues precedent, including claims to vindicate aboriginal title.
June 12, 2024
EPA Tells DC Circ. Emissions Rules Should Stay In Place

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fired back at attempts to pause two final rules establishing greenhouse gas emissions standards for power plants and expanded methane emissions control requirements for oil and gas infrastructure, urging the D.C. Circuit to keep the rules in place amid myriad legal challenges.
June 11, 2024
Ariz. Wants To Oppose Its Legislature In Monument Lawsuit

The state of Arizona wants to intervene in a lawsuit by its Republican House and Senate lawmakers that challenges President Joe Biden's proclamation designating an Indigenous site in the Grand Canyon region a national monument, arguing that the legislative body lacks authority to assert those claims in federal district court.
June 11, 2024
Army's Claims In Burial Dispute 'Unconscionable,' Tribe Says

A Nebraska tribe seeking to repatriate the remains of two boys from an Indian boarding school cemetery in Pennsylvania has said the U.S. Army's claims that it is exempt from a federal law designed to protect Native American burial sites are "unconscionable."
June 11, 2024
Watchdog Says EPA's Lead Exposure Notice Program Lagging

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not on track to roll out a public warning system for exposure to lead in drinking water by an October deadline, the EPA's internal watchdog said in a new report.
June 11, 2024
Federal Judgeships To Open In Pennsylvania And New Mexico

Federal district judge seats in Pennsylvania and New Mexico will open early next year, as two appointees of former President George W. Bush have said they will step down.
June 11, 2024
Singleton Schreiber Adds Tribal And Environmental Law Pro

Robert O. Saunooke, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and previously a solo practitioner, has spent the past 30 years representing the underdog, working pro bono in almost every area of tribal law to protect the rights of Native American tribes across the country.
June 11, 2024
GRSM50 Adds Labor And Employment Pro In San Diego

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP has hired as a partner for its employment law practice an attorney with prior private practice experience who has also worked for multiple companies and a labor union during her more than 20-year career.
June 10, 2024
IHS Urges Budget Shift After High Court Healthcare Ruling

The Indian Health Service, following a divided U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that the federal government is liable for the reimbursement of millions in administrative healthcare costs for two Native American tribes, is urging Congress to shift its budget appropriations for fiscal year 2026 to protect the agency's overall health.
June 10, 2024
9th Circ. Says Choctaw's Dispute With CVS Must Be Arbitrated

A Ninth Circuit panel forced the Choctaw Nation to arbitrate a dispute over prescription drug reimbursement with CVS Health Corp. subsidiaries, affirming an Arizona federal judge's order in a published opinion Monday.
June 10, 2024
FCC Urged To Add Missing Persons Code For Tribes

Tribal leaders urged the Federal Communications Commission to consider adding a missing persons code specific to Indigenous people as it upgrades the Emergency Alert System.
June 10, 2024
Co. Says 16 Intervenors Will Drag Out Alaska Mine Dispute

A company seeking relief from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to block a mining proposal for a stretch of pristine salmon habitat on Alaska's Bristol Bay asked a federal judge to exclude more than a dozen environmental groups from joining the case.
June 10, 2024
Justices Want Feds To Weigh In On ND Voting Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday invited the federal government to weigh in on a voting rights dispute in which two local North Dakota Republican officials seek to block newly created voting subdistricts for Native Americans after Secretary of State Michael Howe reversed course in the litigation.
June 10, 2024
High Court Won't Review FCC's Universal Service Fund

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review whether the country's fee-based telecom subsidy system unlawfully delegates taxing powers from Congress to the Federal Communications Commission and a privately run administrator.
June 07, 2024
Motley Rice Allocated Biggest Share Of $2B Opioid Fees

A panel directed with allocating $2.13 billion in attorney fees stemming from opioid settlements has recommended awarding the largest shares of the pot to Motley Rice LLC, Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC and Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, according to a report filed Friday in Ohio federal court.
June 07, 2024
Lumbee Tribe Family Says Bias Sunk Home Rental Application

A family of Lumbee Native American tribe members has alleged that a national real estate rental company violated the Fair Housing Act's anti-discrimination provisions by denying their housing application based on the father's single criminal conviction without giving him a chance to appeal.
June 07, 2024
Cherokee Man Asks High Court To Undo Tribal Tag Charges

A Cherokee Nation man is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Michigan Supreme Court order that denied him the chance to appeal his traffic stop convictions, arguing that the state must be barred from broadening the definition of "registration plate" in regard to tribal-licensed tags.
June 07, 2024
States Urge DC Circ. To Smoke EPA Particulate Matter Rule

A coalition of 25 Republican-led states and eight industry groups have urged the D.C. Circuit to strike down the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's final rule tightening federal standards for fine particulate matter pollution in separate opening briefs.
June 07, 2024
Arizona GOP Fights Claims of Ethical Issues In Voting Dispute

The Arizona Republican Party has every right to intervene in a challenge to a 2022 voting rights law that is headed to the Ninth Circuit, the party told a federal court, arguing that ethical concerns about its counsel raised by the state and its attorney general are "baseless" and "procedurally deficient."
June 06, 2024
Tribes, Green Groups Lose Challenge To SunZia Power Line

An Arizona federal judge Thursday threw out a challenge by a coalition of tribes and conservation groups to undo a nearly decade-old federal government decision that they said allowed SunZia Transmission LLC to route a 520-mile power line through important cultural and historical sites in the San Pedro Valley.
June 06, 2024
Tribes Pan ND Assembly's High Court Brief In Subpoena Row

Two North Dakota tribes looking to undo an Eighth Circuit ruling that quashed subpoenas on North Dakota legislators and staff in underlying voting rights litigation told justices the ruling should be vacated as moot despite the lawmakers' arguments otherwise.
June 06, 2024
EPA To Reevaluate Widely Used Toxic Chemical Under TSCA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule to limit the use of a chemical found in hundreds of products from paint to cleaning products that has been linked to miscarriages, reduced male fertility and other health issues.
June 06, 2024
Justices Say Feds Liable For Tribes' Healthcare Admin Costs

A split U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday held that the federal government is required to reimburse two Native American tribes millions of dollars in administrative healthcare costs, saying the spending is necessary for the communities to operate programs assumed from the Indian Health Service.
June 05, 2024
BIA Escapes Washington Ranch's $48M Wildfire Suit

A federal judge in Washington state on Wednesday tossed a ranch's $48 million negligence lawsuit alleging the Bureau of Indian Affairs is liable for damages from a 2020 wildfire, ruling that agreements between the bureau and a Native American tribe did not spell out a specific firefighting duty.
June 05, 2024
Wash. Tribe Beats Farm's Challenge Of Land Suit's Dismissal

A Washington state appeals court has sided with a Native American tribe in a nontribal land dispute with a farm in Snohomish County, declining to revive the lawsuit based on sovereign immunity.

Expert Analysis

4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Still Murky After A Choppy 2023

This year brought several important Clean Water Act jurisdictional developments, including multiple agency rules and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that substantially altered the definition of "waters of the United States," but a new wave of litigation challenges has already begun, with no clear end in sight, say attorneys at Nossaman.
A Former Bankruptcy Judge Talks 2023 High Court Rulings

In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four bankruptcy law opinions — an extraordinary number — and a close look at these cases signals that changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code will have to come from Congress, not the courts, says Phillip Shefferly at the University of Michigan Law School.
Series

Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.
How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
Series

The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
Series

Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
How Purdue High Court Case Will Shape Ch. 11 Mass Injury

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent arguments in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, addressing the authority of bankruptcy courts to approve nonconsensual third-party releases in Chapter 11 settlement plans, highlight the case's wide-ranging implications for how mass injury cases get resolved in bankruptcy proceedings, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.
Opinion

Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.