Native American

July 02, 2024
High Court Vacates Tribes' Legislative Privilege Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday vacated and remanded two North Dakota tribes' challenge to a lower court's ruling that held the state's lawmakers are immune from civil discovery in a voting rights lawsuit, with instructions to the Eighth Circuit to dismiss the case as moot.
July 01, 2024
Red States Get Biden Admin's LNG Export Pause Halted

A Louisiana federal judge Monday stayed the Biden administration's pause on reviewing applications to export liquified natural gas to countries without free trade agreements, slamming the U.S. Department of Energy's decision as appearing to be "completely without reason or logic and is perhaps the epiphany of ideocracy."
July 01, 2024
Washington State, Tribes Can Wade Into Water Regs Dispute

A D.C. federal judge said Washington state and five Native American tribes can intervene in a business group's lawsuit trying to overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reestablish water quality standards for the Evergreen State that it had rolled back during the Trump administration.
July 01, 2024
RNC, Arizona Lawmakers Can't Pause Voting Rights Order

The Republican National Committee and two top Arizona lawmakers can't pause a decision that bars provisions of voting legislation from being enforced pending an appeal to the Ninth Circuit, an Arizona federal judge said Friday, while also determining that the state's Republican Party can't weigh in on the dispute.
July 01, 2024
Enbridge Tells Michigan Judge To Speed Up Pipeline Ruling

Enbridge Energy has told a Michigan federal judge to get moving on critical motions that have been pending for years in one of the legal contests over Michigan's efforts to shut down a crude oil and natural gas pipeline that traverses the Great Lakes State.
June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
June 28, 2024
Will 'Moral Victory' In Purdue Ruling Help Plaintiffs?

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that the Sackler family members who own Purdue Pharma LP cannot be shielded by the bankruptcy code from lawsuits over the opioid crisis reflects the widespread public outrage over their role in the epidemic, but experts say it remains unclear what will happen next for the individuals and governments that have sued the company.
June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
June 28, 2024
FCC Subsidy Opponents File New 5th Circ. Challenge

A free-market group and others seeking to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's telecom subsidy system has again filed suit in the Fifth Circuit to oppose the industry fees that fund the programs.
June 28, 2024
DC Circ. Panel Rejects Mich. Tribe's Casino Land Trust Bid

A D.C. appellate court panel on Friday rejected a Michigan tribe's bid to compel the federal government to take land into trust for a casino venture outside Detroit, saying the court is not convinced that the tribe's proposal to channel a portion of the profits into the tribal community's unmet needs is lawful.
June 28, 2024
Tulsa Fights Prisoners' Bids To Join Jurisdiction Row

The city of Tulsa is fighting bids by nearly a dozen people incarcerated within the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to intervene in a challenge by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over tribal jurisdiction, arguing that the federal district court first must consider the municipality's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
June 28, 2024
High Court Enters July With 3 Rulings To Go

In a rare move, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue opinions into the beginning of July as the court tries to clear its merits docket of three remaining cases dealing with presidential immunity, whether governments can control social media platforms' content moderation policies and the appropriate deadline to challenge agency action.
June 28, 2024
Supreme Court Strikes Down Chevron Deference

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned a decades-old precedent that instructed judges about when they could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking, depriving courts of a commonly used analytic tool and leaving lots of questions about what comes next.
June 27, 2024
Freedmen Heir Has Standing In Land Leasing Row, Court Says

A descendant of those enslaved by the Cherokee Nation can challenge the federal government's alleged restriction on funds from early 20th century land allotments, a D.C. Circuit judge said, arguing that she suffered a cognizable injury due to the Interior Department's failure to provide an accounting of the transactions.
June 27, 2024
OptumRx Agrees To Pay $20M To Resolve DOJ Opioid Claims

OptumRx Inc. has reached a $20 million deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to end allegations the company improperly filled opioid prescriptions in combination with other drugs, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
June 27, 2024
Bill Would Add Protections For Native American Children

A bipartisan bill recently introduced in the U.S. House and the Senate puts new safeguards in place for Native American children, according to lawmakers who say it will help kids avoid getting removed from their families due to overt or implicit bias against Native parents and tribes.
June 27, 2024
Titanic Purdue Ruling Shifts The Balance Of Power In Ch. 11

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Sackler family's liability shield in the Chapter 11 plan of Purdue Pharma LP not only eliminates a key tool to resolve mass tort liabilities through bankruptcy, it gives claimants more leverage and fundamentally changes the insolvency landscape in future cases, experts tell Law360.
June 27, 2024
Alaskan Land Trust Fight Remanded Over Misplaced Authority

An Alaska federal judge has vacated and remanded a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior to take a 787-square-foot piece of land in downtown Juneau into trust for an Alaskan tribal government, saying the agency relied on an aboriginal title factor already established in a law designed to settle the state's land claims.
June 27, 2024
Justices Nix 3rd-Party Liability Releases In Purdue Ch. 11 Plan

The U.S. Supreme Court shot down the validity of nonconsensual third-party releases in an opinion issued Thursday in the case of bankrupt drugmaker Purdue Pharma LP, potentially exposing the Sackler family members who own the company to personal liability for the company's role in the opioid crisis.
June 26, 2024
Design Patent Attys Wary Of Applicant Disclosure Proposal

Various intellectual property trade groups are expressing some skepticism toward a proposal over the United Nations using a new treaty to force design patent applicants to disclose more details in their applications.
June 26, 2024
States Say Revised EPA Water Rule Worse Than Original

Two dozen states are seeking a quick win against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and several Native American tribes in their suit challenging a revised rule defining the Clean Water Act's reach, saying it doesn't solve many problems found in the original rule.
June 26, 2024
Choctaw Nation Wants 9th Circ. Rehearing In CVS Arb. Dispute

The Choctaw Nation has asked the Ninth Circuit for a rehearing in an effort to undo the court's decision forcing it to arbitrate a dispute over prescription drug reimbursements with subsidiaries of CVS Health Corp., arguing it never waived sovereign immunity and did not agree to such proceedings on its Recovery Act claims.
June 26, 2024
'Tragic History' Can't Rewrite Law In Burial Row, Army Says

The U.S. Army says the nation's "tragic history" of injustices done to children through the Indian Boarding School system does not give a federal district court license to rewrite a law aimed at protecting Indigenous burial sites, arguing that a Nebraska tribe's challenge over the repatriation of two children should be dismissed.
June 26, 2024
Alaska Natives Call EPA Pebble Mine Veto Unconstitutional

Two Alaska Native American groups are asking a federal court to strip the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of its power to block projects — like a controversial mine in the state — under the Clean Water Act.
June 25, 2024
Feds Transfer Nearly 12,000 Acres To Minnesota Tribe

A Native American tribe in northern Minnesota has added nearly 12,000 acres of forest land to its reservation following an agreement signed by the U.S. Forest Service.

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.