Native American

April 08, 2024
DOI Sued Over Absent Western Gray Wolf Protections

Ten environmental groups have slapped the U.S. Department of the Interior with a complaint in Montana federal court challenging the agency's finding that gray wolves in the Western U.S. do not warrant listing as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
April 08, 2024
Tribes Say Army Corps Mistakes Their Claims In 5th Circ. Row

Two Native American tribes and a conservation group have told the Fifth Circuit that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an Enbridge Inc. unit have intentionally mischaracterized their claims in litigation seeking to challenge the agency's permit authorization for a major oil terminal on Texas' Gulf Coast.
April 08, 2024
Oak Flat Mining Decision Treads On Human Rights, UN Told

The San Carlos Apache Tribe is urging a United Nations committee to ask the United States to withhold any permissions that would allow Resolution Copper Co. to proceed with any activity on a plot of land known as Oak Flat, arguing that a Ninth Circuit ruling allowing the land transfer merits urgent intervention to prevent further human rights violations on the sacred site.
April 05, 2024
Miami Tribe Sues Auctioneer To Recover Chief's 1795 Medal

The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has sued an auctioneer that deals in rare coins in an emergency action, saying in its California state court lawsuit that it wants to stop the auction of a 1795 peace medal presented to Miami Chief Little Turtle at the Treaty of Greenville.
April 05, 2024
DeSantis Directs Gambling Funds Toward Conservation Efforts

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation providing $150 million for state water infrastructure improvements and directed most of the revenue generated from the state's gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe to conservation efforts, including trail management, invasive species removal and Everglades restoration.
April 05, 2024
Crow Tribe Can Hunt In Bighorn National Forest In Wyoming

A Wyoming federal judge has upheld the Crow Tribe of Indians' right to hunt in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming, following a Tenth Circuit decision that vacated and remanded his earlier ruling that the tribe's treaty rights had been extinguished by Wyoming's 1890 statehood.
April 05, 2024
Utah Says It Stands To Lose Big In BLM Oil Lease Challenge

Utah is asking a federal judge for permission to defend the Bureau of Land Management's decision to sell oil and gas leases on more than 200,000 acres of public land, an action under legal attack from environmental groups.
April 05, 2024
Publix Wants Ga. High Court Input On Opioid Public Nuisance

Grocery chain Publix has asked the Ohio federal court overseeing the opioid multidistrict litigation to send questions to Georgia's high court about whether that state's law allows public nuisance claims over a healthcare provider's dispensing of prescription narcotics.
April 04, 2024
Tribes And McKinsey Take Final Step In $39.5M Opioid Deal

A California judge signed off Thursday on the completion of a $39.5 million nationwide settlement deal that resolves all opioids litigation brought by federally recognized tribes against McKinsey & Co.
April 04, 2024
ND Judge Tosses DAPL Protester's Claims Against Police

A North Dakota federal judge said he is dismissing claims a woman filed against police after suffering "horrific injuries" when she was hit by a flashbang during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016.
April 04, 2024
EPA Names Nonprofits To Get $20B From New GHG Fund

At least $20 billion is heading out of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's door to eight nonprofits that will disburse the money for "green" projects such as distributed energy, net-zero buildings, and zero-emissions transportation projects.
April 04, 2024
Great Lakes Fishing Pact Tramples Treaty Rights, Tribe Says

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is asking the Sixth Circuit to undo a Great Lakes fishing decree between it and four other tribes and the state of Michigan, arguing the decree was entered without its consent and imposes upon its treaty rights.
April 03, 2024
Calif. Tribe Sues DOI Over Tribal Ancestry Procedure

A California Native American tribe has accused the U.S. Department of the Interior of using an unconstitutional and unregulated race-based procedure for determining tribal ancestry in a new lawsuit in D.C. federal court.
April 03, 2024
Roadless Rule Doesn't Suit The Tongass, Alaska, Allies Argue

The state of Alaska, electric utilities, and a coalition of towns, mining and business groups, as well as a former Last Frontier governor, are all urging a federal judge to overturn the Biden administration's decision to reinstate roadless area protections for millions of acres of the Tongass National Forest.
April 03, 2024
SD Gov. Noem Asks Tribes To 'Banish' Mexican Drug Cartels

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has called on Native American tribes throughout the state to "banish" Mexican drug operators from tribal lands, saying that Indian reservations serve as ideal areas where cartels can set up their illicit operations.
April 03, 2024
Gov't Says Alaska Gold Mine Approvals Should Stand

The U.S. government is defending its approvals for a large open-pit gold mine along the Kuskokwim River in southwest Alaska, telling a federal judge a half dozen tribes challenging them fail to show that agencies did not take the required "hard look" at project impacts.
April 03, 2024
Native Group's Battle With Commanders Unfit For N. Dakota

A Native American advocacy group's defamation and conspiracy suit against the Washington Commanders has been booted from North Dakota federal court after a judge ruled the franchise's ties to the state were "incidental."
April 02, 2024
Alaska Judge Tosses Opioid Nuisance Case Against Pharmacies

Retail pharmacies including Walgreens Co. and Walmart Inc. have escaped a suit brought by Alaska in state court over their role in the opioid epidemic after a judge found the state's public nuisance claims were a "bridge too far."
April 02, 2024
Casino Outfits Say High Court Must Review Tribal Betting Suit

The U.S. Supreme Court is the correct venue for a case by two casino operators that seek to undo a tribal gaming compact in Florida now that the state's Supreme Court has refused to take up the case, one of the companies has told the nation's highest court.
April 02, 2024
Okla. High Court Denies Gov.'s Veto Suit Over Tribal Compacts

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Gov. Kevin Stitt's suit against state lawmakers over two veto overrides on tribal tobacco and motor vehicle compacts, saying the executive branch doesn't have exclusive authority to negotiate state-tribal compacts.
April 01, 2024
Forest Service Must Revisit Changes To Timber Standards

An Oregon federal judge has agreed to set aside an environmental analysis for timber standard changes the U.S. Forest Service approved for millions of acres of federal land across eastern Oregon and Washington, finding no errors in a magistrate judge's conclusion that the agency violated multiple federal statutes.
April 01, 2024
Feds Catch Win In Alaska Subsistence Fishing Dispute

A federal judge has granted the U.S. government's bid for an early win in its challenge against Alaska over subsistence fishing rules in the Kuskokwim River, which runs through the state's southwest region, ruling that the United States is entitled to a permanent injunction.
April 01, 2024
Tribe, Allies Defend Standing To Fight Corps' Fish Farm Permit

The Army Corps of Engineers is trying to "muddy the water" to fend off a challenge to a nationwide permit opening ocean waters to aquaculture operations, failing to justify why the permit shouldn't be scrapped, the Quinault Indian Nation and nonprofit allies have told a Washington federal judge.
April 01, 2024
BNSF Says Tribe Can't Claim $1.3B For Oil Train Trespassings

BNSF Railway Co. has asserted a Washington tribe is not entitled to $1.3 billion for the shipping of crude oil across its reservation for nearly a decade, arguing the tribe wants to strip railroad profits from a 1,500-mile route when the illegal trespassing occurred across an easement less than a mile long.
April 01, 2024
SunZia Power Line Challenge Is Ripe, Arizona Tribes Say

A coalition of Arizona tribes and conservation groups challenging the federal government's green light for SunZia Transmission LLC to start building a stretch of its 550-mile, high-voltage power line are defending the timeliness of their bid to halt work and compel the Bureau of Land Management to identify and safeguard cultural sites and sacred areas in the San Pedro Valley.

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.