Native American

  • February 27, 2024

    SunZia Line Injunction Needed To Save Sites, Ariz. Tribes Say

    Two Native American tribes and conservation groups seeking to halt construction of a 550-mile power line have renewed their push for a preliminary injunction, arguing that without the order, important cultural and historical sites in the San Pedro Valley will be reduced to collateral damage.

  • February 27, 2024

    Hospital Groups Allege Opioid Crisis Damaged Their Finances

    More than 20 hospitals and related companies have joined multidistrict litigation over the opioid epidemic, alleging in a massive new complaint that pharmacies, drug distributors and others contributed to a crisis that damaged hospitals' finances and strained their ability to help patients.

  • February 27, 2024

    States, Businesses Aim To Kill Feds' Revised Water Rule

    States and business groups have asked a North Dakota federal judge to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revise regulations intended to define the scope of the federal government's authority under the Clean Water Act.

  • February 27, 2024

    Salmon Fishing Mitigation Effort Is Absent, Green Group Says

    Conservation group Wild Fish Conservancy told the Ninth Circuit the district court did not abuse its discretion in "narrowly partially vacating" an incidental take statement underpinning a Chinook salmon troll fishery in southeast Alaska, saying the overarching biological opinion is inconsistent with the Endangered Species Act.

  • February 27, 2024

    Energy Co. Asks 8th Circ. To Revive Lease Termination Suit

    A Denver-based energy company has told the Eighth Circuit that a North Dakota federal judge was wrong to dismiss its lease termination suit and hold that it had not exhausted its administrative remedies when its appeal of the Bureau of Indian Affairs decision had dragged on for nine-plus years.

  • February 26, 2024

    EPA Must Act On Failed Skagit River Temps Plan, Tribe Says

    The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community said it plans to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Endangered Species Act violations unless it revisits a failed Washington state plan to address high water temperatures in the Lower Skagit River Basin that are harming protected salmon species.

  • February 26, 2024

    Gas Groups Press DOE To Restart LNG Export Reviews

    Oil and gas industry groups on Monday urged the U.S. Department of Energy to lift its recent pause of approvals of liquefied natural gas exports to countries that don't have free-trade agreements with the United States, arguing that the move is illegal.

  • February 26, 2024

    Hydroelectric Co. Asks For Pause On Puyallup Dam Order

    A hydroelectric company appealing to the Ninth Circuit is asking a Washington federal judge to stay an order that directed it to remove part of a temporary rock dam on the Puyallup River, saying the order would require it to make changes that are likely to damage its facility.

  • February 26, 2024

    Justices Say Tribes Can Argue Separately In Healthcare Row

    Two Native American tribes seeking to uphold rulings that ordered the federal government to reimburse them millions of dollars in administrative healthcare costs can argue their cases separately, the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday.

  • February 23, 2024

    SD Bill To Expand Native Voting Rights Put Off To Next Session

    A South Dakota bill aimed at expanding and protecting the voting rights of Native Americans was tabled on Friday when state lawmakers ran out of time to consider the legislation with questions lingering on how to craft its language to ensure compliance with state and federal voting rights laws.

  • February 23, 2024

    Wildlife, Paddling Groups Want To Join Clean Water Act Fight

    The National Wildlife Federation and American Whitewater are asking a Louisiana federal judge to let them join litigation over an updated Clean Water Act rule that expanded states' and tribes' ability to block projects such as pipelines and dams over water quality concerns, to ensure their interests are considered.

  • February 23, 2024

    Tribal Biz Atty Must Meet Calif. DA Over Greenhouse Wreckage

    A California federal judge has ordered the lawyer for a business owned by a tribal conglomerate to attend a hearing with San Bernardino County's district attorney, saying the lawyer must explain why he forced the DA to file a unilateral status report about the destruction of illegal cannabis greenhouses.

  • February 23, 2024

    Enviro Orgs. Target Sequoia Forest Restoration Projects

    Several conservation groups are asking a California federal judge to overturn U.S. Forest Service approvals for two post-fire forest restoration projects on parts of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and Sequoia National Forest, claiming they risk harming the sensitive landscapes and making matters worse.

  • February 23, 2024

    Alaska Judge Won't Disturb Oil, Gas Lease Moratorium Order

    An Alaska federal judge rejected bids by the state's development authority to amend or vacate an order upholding a temporary moratorium the Biden administration imposed on an Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain oil and gas program, holding that the case isn't moot after the government canceled its leases.

  • February 22, 2024

    Wash. Tribe Awarded Land Comp Funds After 50-Year Battle

    In a decision the Chinook Indian Nation on Thursday called groundbreaking for other Indigenous communities, the federal government determined that the tribe will receive more than $48,000 from an Indian Claims Commission judgment handed down half a century ago as compensation for the seizure of the tribe's ancestral lands.

  • February 22, 2024

    EPA Puts $5.8B On Tap For Water Infrastructure Projects

    The Biden administration said it's making $5.8 billion available to help pay for water projects around the U.S., steering millions of dollars to states and territories to help overhaul drinking water infrastructure, and wastewater and stormwater systems.

  • February 22, 2024

    Tribal Co., Minn. Agree To Settle Interest Rate Overcharge Row

    Minnesota officials and Montana's Fort Belknap Indian Community have agreed to settle claims that the tribe's economic development corporation engaged in predatory lending practices by charging interest rates up to 800% on loans to thousands of state residents.

  • February 22, 2024

    San Antonio Can Scare Off Park Birds For Now, 5th Circ. Says

    The Fifth Circuit said San Antonio, Texas, can move ahead with its bird deterrence program at a park where Native American church members claim the city is violating their religious rights by pursuing renovation plans that will harm a sacred area's spiritual ecology by removing trees and driving off nesting cormorants.

  • February 22, 2024

    Sports & Betting Group Of The Year: Jenner & Block

    Jenner & Block LLP helps its clients navigate critical moments, including guiding Caesars to victory over a change-skimming lawsuit and engineering a multibillion-dollar sports betting arbitration win for Fox FSG Services in a spat with FanDuel, earning the firm a spot among Law360's 2023 Sports & Betting Groups of the Year.

  • February 21, 2024

    Tribes Say Oil Co. Must Face Tribal Court In $12M Award Fight

    Two Native American tribes have asked a Wyoming district court to block a bid by Merit Energy attempting to stop them from using their tribal judicial system to vacate a $12.6 million arbitration award, saying the company has not yet exhausted all tribal remedies.

  • February 21, 2024

    Alaska Tribes Seek Rights Declaration Over BC Gold Mines

    A consortium of southeast Alaska tribes is asking the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to hold an investigative hearing and declare that Canada is violating their human rights by considering and approving mines that threaten to pollute cross-border rivers and harm vital salmon fisheries without seeking the tribes' input or consent.

  • February 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Federal Coal Lease Ban Case 'Is Moot'

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday vacated and remanded a district court's ruling that had reinstated a 2016 moratorium on federal coal leasing, with a recommendation that the litigation be dismissed as moot, saying there's no basis to conclude that a challenge to a defunct order is still alive.

  • February 21, 2024

    BIA Must Litigate Mont. Tribes' Trimmed Police Funding Suit

    A federal district judge partially dismissed claims in a lawsuit filed by two Montana tribes seeking to gain $3.8 million in additional police funding for their communities after they alleged the U.S. Department of the Interior kept their law enforcement budget at nearly the same level it was 25 years ago.

  • February 21, 2024

    Tribes, Mich., Feds Refute Great Lakes Fishing Challenge

    Several Native American tribes, the state of Michigan and the federal government have urged the Sixth Circuit to reject a sport fishing group's attempt to sink a tribal fishing pact for parts of lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, arguing it strikes an appropriate balance between respecting tribal fishing rights and protecting the Great Lakes fisheries.

  • February 21, 2024

    Ga. Urges Judge To Reject DOJ Bid To Join Voting Rights Suit

    Georgia officials want a Peach State federal court to reject the Biden administration's delayed attempt to join a lawsuit alleging a recent state election law discriminates against Black voters, arguing the move is driven by the government's concern about losing its own challenge to the state's voting rules.

Expert Analysis

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • House Bill Could Help Resolve 'Waters Of US' Questions

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    Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House that would restore Clean Water Act protection to areas excluded from it by the U.S. Supreme Court's Sackett v. EPA decision faces an uphill battle, but could help settle the endless debates over the definition of "waters of the United States," says Richard Leland at Akerman.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • New Initiatives Will Advance Corporate Biodiversity Reporting

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    Two important recent developments — the launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures' framework on nature and biodiversity reporting, and Nature Action 100's announcement of the 100 companies it plans to engage on biodiversity issues — will help bring biodiversity disclosures into the mainstream, say David Woodcock and Maria Banda at Gibson Dunn.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • Series

    Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'

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    The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.

  • Opinion

    Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

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    The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.

  • Extreme Weather And Renewable Project Insurance Coverage

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    The regularity and severity of extreme weather events driven by climate change are putting renewable energy projects increasingly at risk — so project owners, contractors and investors should understand the issues that can arise in these situations when seeking recovery under a builder's risk insurance policy, say Paul Ferland and Joshua Tumen at Cozen O'Connor.

  • How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

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    Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • Unpacking OMB's Proposed Uniform Guidance Rewrite

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    Affected organizations, including state and local governments, should carefully review the Office of Management and Budget's proposed overhaul of uniform rules for administering over $1 trillion in federal funding distributed each year, and take the opportunity to submit comments before the December deadline, says Dismas Locaria at Venable.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

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    Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

  • How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

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    Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

  • Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

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    Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

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