Native American

  • August 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Upholds Tribe's Win In Washington Dam Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday upheld an order requiring that a Washington hydroelectric company alter its rock pile dam on the Puyallup River, handing another win to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which says the dam is threatening several species of endangered fish.

  • August 16, 2024

    New Study Sought On Uranium Mine Near Grand Canyon

    Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking the U.S. Forest Service for an updated environmental impact study on the state's only working uranium mine at the center of a dispute with the Navajo Nation, saying the original assessment is based on outdated information about risks to the region's groundwater.

  • August 16, 2024

    SG Tells High Court No Reason To Unblock Ariz. Voter Law

    Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to reject an argument from the Republican National Committee and two top Arizona lawmakers that federal law can't preempt the state from requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

  • August 16, 2024

    Bar Associations Issue 'Call To Action' To Law Firms On DEI

    Presidents from eight of the nation's largest bar associations are asking legal industry leaders to help defend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives against attacks from segments of the country.

  • August 15, 2024

    Stop 'Pointing Fingers,' Judge Tells Blue Cross, Mich. Tribe

    A Michigan federal judge on Wednesday urged counsel in a Native American tribe's lawsuit alleging Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan improperly billed for members' healthcare to heed his repeated advice and focus on the merits of the case, denying both parties' attempts to punish the other.

  • August 15, 2024

    Judge Says Sioux Tribe Can't Hold US Liable In Building Row

    The federal government is not responsible for paying for a deteriorating building on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, a Federal Claims Court judge has determined, saying that although given every opportunity to present its theory, missteps plagued the tribe's presentation for monetary relief.

  • August 15, 2024

    Interior Department Grants $775M To Plug Oil And Gas Wells

    The U.S. Department of the Interior said it's making up to $775 million available for 21 eligible states to plug orphaned oil and gas wells to curb harmful methane leaks and reduce risks to the environment and public health.

  • August 15, 2024

    Ariz. GOP Backs RNC's High Court Bid To Stay Voting Order

    The Arizona Republican Party is backing the Republican National Committee and two of the state's top lawmakers in asking U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan to halt an order over a voting law that is pending appeal at the Ninth Circuit, arguing the district court's order has a direct and tangible effect on its ability to promote the party's policies.

  • August 15, 2024

    Montana Sen. Tester Says BIA Must Do More To Protect Tribes

    The senior U.S. senator from Montana has asked the Biden administration to authorize an independent review of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' efforts to ensure the public safety of Native American tribes in the state, saying a dire lack of trained law enforcement officers is "unacceptable."

  • August 14, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Won't Rehear Utah Tribe's Water Dispute

    A Federal Circuit panel refused to rehear a Utah tribe's challenge to the U.S. government that looked to overturn a Federal Claims Court ruling that held it didn't violate a 19th century law by not securing new water and infrastructure rights for the Indigenous community.

  • August 14, 2024

    Treasury Says $82M Will Boost Tribal Small Business Growth

    An investment by the U.S. Treasury in a consortium of Alaskan tribes is expected to infuse as much as $830 million in additional private sector investments throughout the state and in Indigenous-owned companies as part of the most expansive backing of small-business financing for tribal governments in history.

  • August 14, 2024

    Oregon Gets New 600-Acre Wildlife Refuge

    Oregon is home to a new 600-acre wildlife refuge in the Willamette Valley between Salem and Eugene intended to preserve a variety of animal and plant species, the U.S. Department of the Interior said Tuesday.

  • August 14, 2024

    10th Circ. Wipes Out Fight Over Obama-Era Methane Rule

    The Tenth Circuit has thrown out a lower court ruling partially invalidating an Obama-era rule limiting venting and flaring from oil and gas wells on federal land, saying a new rule crafted by the Biden administration moots the entire case.

  • August 14, 2024

    The Biggest Enviro Decisions Of 2024: Midyear Report

    2024 has already been one of the most consequential years for environmental law, and it's only half over. The U.S. Supreme Court issued groundbreaking administrative law decisions, while lower appeals courts resolved questions about California's right to promulgate its own vehicle emissions standards, among other rulings.

  • August 13, 2024

    Ill. Casino Can't Claim Immunity In Competition Row, City Says

    An Illinois city wants the Seventh Circuit to deny a proposed tribal casino's appeal that seeks to undo a lower court order that found the municipality didn't discriminate against it by choosing three other competitors to operate the venues, arguing that sovereign immunity can't protect the case from dismissal.

  • August 13, 2024

    Ariz. Tribe, Green Groups Want In On Industry Copper Rule Suit

    A Native American tribe and the Sierra Club are squaring off against mining companies challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent rule, which is intended to reduce toxic, cancer-causing emissions from copper-smelting facilities.

  • August 13, 2024

    Ruling On Reservation Shooting Can't Be Delayed, Feds Say

    The U.S. government wants an Arizona federal court to deny a discovery bid by the family of a Tohono O'odham Nation man that seeks the names of the Border Patrol agents who discharged the weapons that killed him, saying the dispute shouldn't hold its motion to dismiss the lawsuit in abeyance.

  • August 13, 2024

    Las Vegas Jury Deals Out A Verdict Of No Infringement

    A lawsuit surrounding a "rotatable shuffler" that has been going on in Nevada federal court for the better part of a decade has finally ended, with a Las Vegas jury finding that the maker of a roulette-style gambling machine did not infringe a patent covering a different kind of card shuffling machine.

  • August 13, 2024

    North Dakota Officials OK Pot Legalization Ballot Measure

    North Dakota voters will have another opportunity to legalize adult-use marijuana on Election Day this November after state officials said that reformers had submitted enough signatures to qualify the question for the ballot.

  • August 12, 2024

    Museum Returns 150-Year-Old Press To Cherokee Nation

    A nearly century-and-a-half-old printing press used to publish a newspaper in the Cherokee language is now in the hands of the descendants of its Indigenous owners following yearslong, voluntary repatriation talks between the city of Tulsa and the Cherokee Nation to return the machine. 

  • August 12, 2024

    Groups Call On IHS To End Amalgam Use On Tribal Lands

    A consortium of groups, including Consumers for Dental Choice and the International Indian Treaty Council, are calling on the U.S. Indian Health Service and other governments to immediately stop using mercury-containing dental fillings on Native Americans.

  • August 12, 2024

    Calif. Tribe Loses Bid To Overturn BIA's Organization Rule

    The U.S. Department of the Interior's decision to expand the group eligible to participate in the California Valley Miwok Tribe's organization was not arbitrary and capricious, a D.C. federal judge ruled Monday, saying the government made reasonable efforts to ensure the process was open to the entire tribe.

  • August 12, 2024

    The Biggest Telecom Developments Of 2024: Midyear Report

    The first half of 2024 saw sweeping change in the telecom sphere as the Federal Communications Commission's Democratic majority pushed through controversial net neutrality rules and confronted challenges on artificial intelligence, national security and more, but also faces the prospect of new headwinds as the nation's top court pared back powers of federal agencies.

  • August 12, 2024

    Ease Letter Of Credit Rules For Tribal Broadband, FCC Urged

    Tribal telecom carriers have called on the Federal Communications Commission to ease or eliminate bank credit restrictions for tribes bidding on federally funded broadband deployment projects, pointing to unique challenges they face in securing the required letters of credit.

  • August 12, 2024

    Construction Co. Says Tribe Can't Escape $1.9M Wage Suit

    A New York construction company is fighting a bid by an entity created by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to dismiss a $1.9 million wage dispute for work done on an $11.75 million Cape Cod, Massachusetts, housing project, arguing that sovereign immunity can't protect it from the litigation.

Expert Analysis

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • The 5 Most Important Bid Protest Decisions Of 2023

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    Attorneys at Bradley Arant discuss noteworthy 2023 bid protest decisions from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and U.S. Government Accountability Office, offering perspectives on standing, document production, agency deference, System for Award Management registration requirements and mentor-protégé joint venture proposal evaluations.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

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    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • How DOI Aims To Modernize Resource Damage Assessments

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    The U.S. Department of the Interior's recent proposal to redesign its Type A rule for conducting natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities could lead to a more streamlined, flexible assessment process that would benefit both natural resource trustees and potentially responsible parties, says Brian Ferrasci-O'Malley at Nossaman.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

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    Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Growing Green Tech Demand Spells Trouble For Groundwater

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    Increasing demand for green technology is depleting the groundwater reserves used to extract and process the necessary minerals, making a fundamental shift toward more sustainable water use practices necessary at both the state and federal levels, says Sarah Mangelsdorf at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Cannabis Banking Bill Uncertainty May Actually Be A Blessing

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    The passage of a cannabis banking law is alluring, but little will be lost if the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act — facing stiff competition from other congressional priorities — gets tabled because the bill ultimately does little to meaningfully propel the industry toward full legalization, says Michael Rosenblum at Thompson Coburn.

  • 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

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    As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Environmental Justice: A 2023 Recap And 2024 Forecast

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    A 2023 executive order directing each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission, as well as the many lawsuits and enforcement actions last year, demonstrates that EJ will increasingly surface in all areas of law and regulation, from technically challenging to seemingly ordinary permitting and construction matters, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

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    As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

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    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.

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