Native American

October 22, 2024
Neb. Tribe Appeals Ruling To 4th Circ. In Army Burial Row

A Nebraska tribe will ask the Fourth Circuit to overturn a lower court's decision that determined that the U.S. Army isn't required to repatriate the remains of two Indigenous children from an Indian Boarding School cemetery in Pennsylvania, arguing that the ruling is an affront to tribal sovereignty.
October 22, 2024
The 2024 Prestige Leaders

Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.
October 22, 2024
How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.
October 21, 2024
Rio Grande LNG, Texas LNG Want DC Circ. FERC Ruling Redo

Backers of liquefied natural gas projects on Texas' Gulf Coast are asking the D.C. Circuit to revisit a panel ruling that vacated their Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reauthorization orders, with Rio Grande LNG LLC saying that the flawed ruling threatens to halt its $18 billion project and put its future at "grave risk."
October 21, 2024
Alaskan Tribes Ink Stewardship Land, Water Pacts With Feds

Three agreements between the federal government and Alaskan tribes and corporations are expected to advance efforts to safeguard salmon relied upon by Indigenous people for thousands of years, further sovereignty and improve easement management to public lands and waters, the U.S. Department of the Interior said.
October 21, 2024
DC Circ. Unsure Right Law Used To Challenge Alaska LNG Project

Two conservation groups faced a skeptical D.C. Circuit panel on Monday in their challenge to the U.S. Department of Energy's reapproval of a $44 billion liquefied natural gas project in Alaska.
October 21, 2024
BIA Officer's Psychological Eval Off-Limits In Liability Row

A Northern Cheyenne woman who has accused a former Bureau of Indian Affairs officer of sexually assaulting her can reopen his deposition but won't be allowed access to his psychological evaluation in the ongoing dispute over the federal agency's liability in the incident, a federal judge said.
October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
October 18, 2024
Colo. County, Enviros Back DC Ruling In High Court Rail Fight

Conservation groups and a Colorado county are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a D.C. Circuit ruling that overturned federal approval of a rail project proposed to haul crude oil out of Utah's Uinta Basin, as justices set arguments for a challenge to that ruling for Dec. 10.
October 18, 2024
NY County Says Tribe Wants Special Treatment In 911 Row

New York's Cayuga County has asked a federal court to dismiss the Cayuga Nation's lawsuit accusing it and another county of refusing to forward 911 calls happening on tribal land to the tribe's police department without payment, saying it doesn't owe the tribe special treatment.
October 18, 2024
States, Public Health Groups Defend EPA Power Plant Rule

A group of 21 states and the District of Columbia called on the D.C. Circuit on Friday to reject myriad challengers' attempts to unravel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to control greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
October 18, 2024
US Treasury Awards $500M To Boost Small Tribal Businesses

The U.S. Department of the Treasury wrapped up its approvals of $500 million in applications from tribal nations, marking the largest federal investment in Indian Country in the nation's history in Native American-owned small businesses that is expected to yield as much as $5 billion in additional financing support.
October 18, 2024
Ore. Water Rights Issues Grounded In State Law, 9th Circ. Told

The Klamath Irrigation District is asking the Ninth Circuit to certify two questions to the Oregon Supreme Court concerning the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's authority to use and control the use of water under Oregon law.
October 17, 2024
Tulsa Massacre Survivors Want Accountability In DOJ Review

The federal government, in its first probe into one of the deadliest episodes of mass racial violence in the country's history that came during a period of Black affluence in an Indian Country community, is asking the public to come forward with more information that can help its review.
October 17, 2024
Supreme Court Signals Skepticism On Staying Federal Rules

A recent string of refusals to block major Biden administration energy and climate change rules suggests that the U.S. Supreme Court is setting limits on its willingness to elbow aside lower courts that are considering challenges to such rules, legal experts say.
October 17, 2024
FERC Adds Tribal Protections To Transmission Siting Rule

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unanimously finalized its rule updating how the agency plans to carry out its limited authority over siting transmission lines during its monthly meeting on Thursday.
October 17, 2024
BIA Says Officer's Evals, Report Off Limits In Liability Dispute

The Bureau of Indian Affairs says a Northern Cheyenne woman who was sexually assaulted by one of its former officers isn't entitled to his psychological evaluation or criminal presentencing report, arguing that the information is protected under state and federal law in the dispute over the federal agency's liability.
October 16, 2024
Colo. Says Tribes' Sports Betting Concerns Too 'Theoretical'

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has urged a federal judge to toss a lawsuit brought by two Native American tribes alleging the state can't regulate their online sports betting activities, arguing the tribes' concerns are "purely theoretical" because they currently don't have betting enterprises.
October 16, 2024
Rule Will Boost Alaskan Native Reps On Subsistence Board

The federal government on Wednesday announced a final rule that will strengthen Alaskan Indigenous representation on the Federal Subsistence Board by, for the first time, adding members nominated by the tribes that will be impacted by the board's decisions on the state's land and waters.
October 16, 2024
5th Circ. Pauses Block Of Texas Election Law

The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday pressed pause on a San Antonio judge's order blocking part of a controversial Texas election law, writing that a change in law less than three weeks before voters will cast their ballots will cause undue confusion during the election.
October 16, 2024
NY State Judge Says He's Immune In Tribe's Eviction Suit

A New York state judge has urged a federal court to throw out a Cayuga Nation lawsuit accusing him of interfering with the tribe's sovereign authority as it looks to evict two tribal members from properties on reservation land, saying he is immune from the suit.
October 16, 2024
Draft Of Recognition Rule Nearly Set For Review, Court Told

A draft of an Interior Department's final rule on federal recognition for Native American tribes is expected to land before the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs no later than Nov. 15, Secretary Deb Haaland told a D.C. federal court.
October 16, 2024
DC Circ. Urged To Let Feds Fix Pipeline Safety Rules

A pipeline industry group urged a D.C. Circuit panel to reconsider its August decision throwing out a handful of new safety standards for gas transmission pipelines, warning that federal regulators' implementation of the court's mandate could lead to millions of dollars of unnecessary repair costs for pipeline operators.
October 16, 2024
2023 Minority Law Grads Are Still Finding Jobs At Lower Rates

Law school graduates of color from the class of 2023 continue to find employment at lower rates than their white peers despite a red-hot job market, according to a report released Wednesday.
October 15, 2024
Tribes, Backers Urge Justices To Take On Oak Flat Dispute

Tribes, religious groups and scholars are backing a bid in the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Ninth Circuit ruling allowing part of the Tonto National Forest that is sacred to the Western Apache to be destroyed for a copper mine proposed by a Rio Tinto and BHP venture.

Expert Analysis

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.
Series

Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.
What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.
Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.
Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.