Native American

  • March 14, 2025

    6th Circ. Rejects Tribe's Appeal Of Great Lakes Fishing Pact

    A Sixth Circuit panel upheld a 2023 decree governing fishery management in the Great Lakes on Thursday, finding that a Michigan federal judge had the prerogative to enter the decree over the objections of a Native American tribe. 

  • March 13, 2025

    Students' Regalia Rights Bill Heads To New Mexico Governor

    A bill aimed at protecting the rights of Native American students to wear tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies in New Mexico is heading toward the governor's desk for approval.

  • March 13, 2025

    Seminole Say Minn. Order Backs Bid To Nix Gaming Ad Suit

    The Seminole Tribe of Florida says a recent federal court order that dismissed a Minnesota casino and horse racetrack operator's claims that tribal entities' Class III gaming operations are illegal supports its bid to nix a proposed class action over allegedly misleading advertisements by its Hard Rock Digital gaming vendor.

  • March 13, 2025

    Ore. Tribes Challenge Utility's Eminent Domain Bid

    An Oregon Indigenous community is fighting a bid by Portland General Electric Co. to condemn five acres of public land for the maintenance and operation of its hydroelectric project, arguing that the move is a pretext to eliminate its ceremonial fishing platform at the state's largest waterfalls.

  • March 13, 2025

    Judge Orders Reinstatement Of Many Fired Federal Workers

    A California federal judge on Thursday ordered the immediate reinstatement of certain probationary employees fired from six federal agencies, saying the Office of Personnel Management did not have the authority to direct those terminations, making the firings "unlawful."

  • March 12, 2025

    EPA Puts 'Holy Grail Of Climate Change Religion' In Crosshairs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said it is reconsidering its 2009 finding that some greenhouse gases endanger humans' health and welfare — putting the fate of rules that sprang from that landmark conclusion into question.

  • March 12, 2025

    EPA Says Grant Termination Moots Climate Group's Challenge

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told a D.C. federal judge Wednesday that its cancelation of $20 billion in grant funding for climate change projects renders moot Climate United Fund's claim that Citibank is illegally denying its disbursement requests.

  • March 12, 2025

    Alaska Tribal Groups' Bid To Update Fish Harvesting Rule Fails

    A federal judge has said the National Marine Fisheries Service didn't violate the law by relying on 2004 and 2007 environmental impact statements to determine specifications for a final groundfish harvest rule for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, rejecting two Alaskan tribal organizations' bid to vacate the rule.

  • March 12, 2025

    HUD Rejects NC City's DEI-Incorporating Disaster Relief Plan

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said it rejected a draft plan submitted by Asheville, North Carolina, outlining how the city would distribute $225 million in federal relief funds for hurricane recovery due to the plan's incorporation of "DEI criteria."

  • March 12, 2025

    Arizona Lawmakers Reintroduce $5B Tribal Water Rights Act

    A bipartisan group of Arizona federal lawmakers reintroduced a bill to finalize a $5.1 billion water rights settlement for three Indigenous tribes in the Colorado River Basin that, if approved, will resolve one of the Grand Canyon State's longest-running water disputes.

  • March 12, 2025

    ND Lawmakers OK Recommending Tribal Land Taxation Study

    North Dakota would direct state lawmakers to consider studying issues related to the taxation of land owned by enrolled tribal members who reside on Native American reservations under a bill passed by the state Legislative Assembly and headed to the governor.

  • March 11, 2025

    6th Circ. Ends Group's Challenge To Great Lakes Fishing Pact

    The Sixth Circuit on Tuesday rejected a nonprofit's challenge to a pact between Native American tribes and the state of Michigan for allegedly lacking guardrails to prevent overfishing in the Great Lakes, finding it lacked jurisdiction since the nonprofit never intervened in the case and only filed amicus curiae briefs.

  • March 11, 2025

    Trump Admin Shutters EPA's Enviro Justice Office

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday dissolved its more than 30-year-old environmental justice and civil rights office, the latest in a string of EPA actions targeting efforts to ease pollution burdens on historically disadvantaged communities.

  • March 11, 2025

    Judge Rules Tribal Immunity Bars Minn. Casino Lawsuit

    A federal district court judge on Tuesday dismissed a challenge by a commercial casino and horse racetrack operator that claimed several Minnesota tribal entities are illegally dominating the state's gambling industry through Class III gaming.

  • March 11, 2025

    Feds Push Back On Enviro Orgs., Tribes In Yellowstone Bison Case

    The Interior Department is asking a federal court to reconsider orders that allowed environmental groups to intervene and add two more federal agencies as necessary parties to a challenge over the management of the bison population in Yellowstone National Park, arguing the move is an attempt to hijack the litigation.

  • March 11, 2025

    Zydus Cuts Deal With States, Tribes In Opioid Nuisance Suit

    Zydus Pharmaceuticals Inc. has reached a deal in principle with states and Native American tribes that should quash claims related to the company's alleged role in exasperating the opioid crisis.

  • March 11, 2025

    EPA Officially Cuts $20B In Funding For Climate Projects

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday canceled $20 billion in congressionally approved grant funding for climate change projects that it had frozen for weeks and criticized as wasteful and out of step with the Trump administration's priorities.

  • March 11, 2025

    6th Circ. Asks If It Should Duck Enbridge Pipeline Fight

    A Sixth Circuit panel has asked if it should pause or reject altogether Enbridge Energy LP's lawsuit challenging Michigan's efforts to shutter a pipeline because of a pending state court case, requesting briefs ahead of oral arguments next week.

  • March 11, 2025

    Groups Say EPA Must Regulate Phosphate Mining Waste

    The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and others have called on the D.C. Circuit to order the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate radioactive waste from phosphate mining and fertilizer production, which are currently excluded from federal regulation.

  • March 11, 2025

    Womble Bond Partner Named US Attorney For Western NC

    A white collar defense attorney and business litigator from Womble Bond Dickinson's Charlotte office will helm the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, filling a vacancy left by former U.S. Attorney Dena J. King.

  • March 10, 2025

    Tribal Nations, Students Sue Feds Over School Staffing Cuts

    Three tribal nations and five Native American students are asking a D.C. federal court to block a Trump administration executive order calling for large-scale federal workforce reductions, saying the directive devastated operations and undermined Bureau of Indian Education schools across the nation.

  • March 10, 2025

    EPA Climate Grantee Sues Citibank, Agency Over Frozen Cash

    A climate-change-focused nonprofit is accusing Citibank NA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in D.C. federal court of breaching a contract to deliver billions of dollars in grant funding that's been frozen by the Trump administration.

  • March 10, 2025

    Ayahuasca Church Says DEA Violated Religious Use Contract

    A New Mexico-based church whose practice involves a controlled substance has brought a federal lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration, alleging the agency sat on the group's application to export the sacrament to sister churches for close to seven years.

  • March 10, 2025

    Tribe Says BNSF Can't Derail $400M Trespass Judgment

    A Washington tribe is urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold a lower court's finding that BNSF Railway Co. must pay nearly $400 million for years of illegally running oil cars across tribal territory, saying the railroad's claim that it strips away lawfully earned profits "makes little sense."

  • March 10, 2025

    Ariz. Power Co. Asks Justices To Review Tax On Tribal Plant

    An energy company asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review Arizona court decisions that said a power plant it owns on tribal land is subject to property taxes, arguing that privately owned improvements located on Native American reservations are exempt from state and local taxes.

Expert Analysis

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Justices Seem Focused On NEPA's Limits In Utah Rail Case

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    After last month's oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the court appears poised to forcefully reiterate that the National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to review only those environmental impacts within their control, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Consultants Should Be Aware Of DOJ's Potential New Reach

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent first-of-its-kind settlement with McKinsey & Co. indicates not only the DOJ's more aggressive stance toward businesses' potential criminal wrongdoings, but also the benefits of self-disclosure and cooperation when wrongdoing becomes apparent, says Dom Caamano at Kibler Fowler.

  • 5th Circ.'s Nasdaq Ruling Another Piece In DEI Policy Puzzle

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    The Fifth Circuit's recent en banc opinion vacating Nasdaq's board diversity listing rule wades into the hotly debated topic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at a time when many public companies are navigating the attention that DEI commitments are drawing from activists and shareholders, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

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