Native American

  • November 18, 2025

    Court Says Keeping Tribe's Suit Alive Respects Federal Law

    An Oklahoma city can't dodge a jurisdictional challenge by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a federal judge determined Tuesday, saying, "The boundary between state authority and tribal sovereignty in Indian Country was marked long before the dispute arose, and nothing in the record suggests Congress has moved it."

  • November 18, 2025

    1st Circ. May Nix Trump Funding Freeze In 'Weird' Case

    The First Circuit on Tuesday hinted that a federal judge may have been in bounds when blocking the Trump administration from withholding certain funds for states, expressing skepticism that the judge's order was improper or overly broad.

  • November 18, 2025

    Noem Says US Security Behind Job Denial, Not Religious Tea

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem countered a job applicant's lawsuit alleging religious discrimination, telling a Florida federal court that the judiciary system lacks the authority to scrutinize the department's national security decisions.

  • November 18, 2025

    NY Judge Orders More Expert Briefing In Tribe's RICO Suit

    A New York federal judge has ordered the Cayuga Nation and defendants in a racketeering suit to submit additional briefing over the Nation's experts in a suit alleging that the defendants conspired to deprive the Nation of funds through an unlicensed tobacco outlet.

  • November 18, 2025

    Judge Questions If Trump's Say-So Makes Wind Edict Legal

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday lamented a lack of clear guidance from higher courts as she considered whether wind farm permits can be put on hold indefinitely based solely on a directive from the president.

  • November 18, 2025

    New York Disputes Magistrate's Report In Tribal Thruway Row

    New York is opposing a recommendation that would give a win to the Seneca Nation and force negotiations over a portion of a thruway that runs through the tribe's reservation, arguing that the report relies on a narrow interpretation of Sherrill laches in contrast to Second Circuit characterization.

  • November 17, 2025

    AGs Seek To Freeze EPA Solar Grant Funds During Challenge

    A coalition of states asked a Washington federal judge to maintain federal money for Solar for All grants during the pendency of their lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to kill the program, arguing that they're likely to prevail on their claims that the agency can't legally claw back funds Congress already obligated.

  • November 17, 2025

    Decade-Old Mont. Bison Dispute Spurs Call For Legal Clarity

    A neighborhood group is asking a Montana federal district court to declare a 2019 Yellowstone bison management operation plan illegal, arguing that federal agencies are allowing the state to diminish treaty hunting opportunities for Indigenous nations that provide more food for their members.

  • November 17, 2025

    Tribes Urge Mich. Top Court To Block Enbridge Oil Tunnel

    A group of tribes and environmental organizations has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to order a more rigorous environmental review of Enbridge Energy LP's plan for an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac.

  • November 17, 2025

    EPA, Army Corps Float Trimming Clean Water Act Powers

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers on Monday proposed new limits on their ability to enforce the Clean Water Act, saying prior understandings of the federal government's authority were too broad.

  • November 17, 2025

    'Astounding' Holland & Knight Conduct Drives Liability Ruling

    Holland & Knight LLP has forfeited a malpractice lawsuit in Alaska by refusing to turn over information to a Native American corporation, with a state judge entering a default judgment as a sanction and calling the firm's conduct "a head scratcher" and "astounding."

  • November 17, 2025

    Vatican Returns 62 Indigenous Artifacts To Canada

    The Vatican has returned 62 artifacts from its ethnological museum collection to Canada's Indigenous people as part of its continuing effort to reckon with the Catholic Church's past role in suppressing the cultural heritage of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

  • November 17, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court and Delaware Supreme Court last week had a dense slate of fiduciary duty battles, merger-process challenges, post-bankruptcy fights and a series of cases probing the limits of fraud pleading, credible-basis inspections and board-level disclosure duties.

  • November 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Rips Feds For 'Trying To Suppress Speech'

    A Ninth Circuit panel expressed doubts Friday about the Trump administration's request to reconsider an order reinstating billions of dollars in University of California research grants in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, with one judge objecting that "the government is trying to suppress, to penalize speech."

  • November 14, 2025

    'Constitutional Word Salad': Judge Rips Suit Over Mascot Ban

    A New York federal court judge denied a Long Island school district's bid to amend claims in a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on Indigenous mascots, calling proposed changes a "constitutional word salad," but said a district parent could add First Amendment claims to the litigation.

  • November 14, 2025

    Feds' Use Of AI In Permitting, Rulemaking Raises Concerns

    Federal government agencies with environmental responsibilities have begun using artificial intelligence tools, but attorneys say information about exactly why, how and when they are being used has been hard to get, leading to uncertainty about their effectiveness and shortcomings.

  • November 14, 2025

    Okla. AG, Governor Feud Over Tribal Hunting Enforcement

    Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed a special prosecutor to go after Native Americans who hunt or fish on tribal lands without state licenses after Attorney General Gentner Drummond said last month he would not prosecute the cases.

  • November 14, 2025

    Chamber Asks Justices To Stop Calif. Climate Reporting Laws

    Business groups challenging California laws that require large companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to prohibit the state from enforcing the statutes during litigation in lower courts.

  • November 14, 2025

    FCC Urged To Add Tribal Window To C-Band Sale

    A public interest group has urged the Federal Communications Commission to add a tribal priority window as the agency develops a plan required by Congress to auction off rights to upper C-band spectrum.

  • November 14, 2025

    Tribe Fights Enforcement Of Casino Union Recognition Order

    A California federal judge should forgo enforcing an arbitration award that requires a Native American tribe to work with UNITE HERE at a tribe-run casino, the tribe argued, saying the award is based on a flawed premise.

  • November 14, 2025

    DC Circ. Wary Of DEA Delays In Religious Ayahuasca Case

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday appeared skeptical that the Drug Enforcement Administration was justified in its delays processing an Iowa church's application for a religious exemption to the Controlled Substances Act to use a psychedelic in its rites.

  • November 13, 2025

    DOJ Sues Newsom Over Prop 50 Redistricting Plan

    California's voter-approved Proposition 50 plan for new congressional districts mandates "racial gerrymandering" in favor of Hispanic voters in violation of the equal protection clause, the U.S. Department of Justice alleges in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday against Gov. Gavin Newsom.

  • November 13, 2025

    Hemp Policy At Crossroads After Government Reopening Bill

    Hemp industry advocates are pledging to use the one-year gap between enactment and implementation of the government funding agreement, which effectively recriminalized most hemp-derived THC products, to craft new regulatory legislation that stops short of a full ban.

  • November 13, 2025

    Tribe Scores Early Win Against Michigan Fruit Processor

    A Michigan federal judge has ruled that a fruit-processing company illegally discharged millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into wetlands that feed Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay, granting an early win to a Native American tribe and two local environmental nonprofit groups.

  • November 13, 2025

    Judge Rejects NY Tribe's Bid To Revive Eel-Fishing Rights

    A New York federal judge won't reconsider a decision determining that members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation don't have aboriginal eel-fishing rights off Long Island free of state regulatory fees, saying their arguments lack merit and they can't point to any decisions or data that the court overlooked.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • DOJ Actions Signal Rising Enforcement Risk For Health Cos.

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement of a new False Claims Act working group, together with the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history, underscore the importance of sophisticated compliance programs that align with the DOJ's data-driven approach, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

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