On Becoming an American Indian Law Professor: 2021 Update

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Abstract:

There are less than three dozen American Indians who are enrolled tribal members who are tenure system law professors in American law schools. We study this group, as well as a few known tribal members who have either retired or left the academy for loftier pursuits, for purposes of identifying the profiles of tribally enrolled American Indians on the tenure track in American law schools. The object of this short paper is to advise American Indian law students and others on how to become an American Indian law professor. This paper is an update from a 2012 paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2058557.

Prepared in anticipation of the “Transforming the Legal Academy” conference.

Job Announcement

gabrielagendreau

____________________________________________________________________________ 

To post an open Indian law or leadership job to Turtle Talk, send the following information to indigenous@law.msu.edu: 

In the email body: 

  1. A typed brief description of the position which includes: 
    • Position title 
    • Location (city, state) 
    • Main duties 
    • Closing date 
    • Any other pertinent details such as links to the application 
  2. An attached PDF job announcement. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Hobb Straus Associate Attorney

Associate Attorney. Oklahoma City, OK. Duties include: (1) Legal representation of Tribes and Tribal organizations; (2) Promoting and defending tribal rights; (3) Ability to participate in a highly-collaborative environment; and (4) Familiarity with tribal communities and cultures and a commitment to tribal representation. Please see the position description for more information. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, and recent writing sample to Cindy Bonewitz at cbonewitz@hobbsstraus.com. This position is open until filled. 

Sonosky Chambers

Summer 2022 – Incoming 2L Student Associate. Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson, & Perry LLP is a national law firm dedicated to representing Native American interests in a wide range of endeavors – including trial and appellate litigation, federal Indian law, tribal law, Indian self-determination and self-governance matters, transportation and infrastructure, natural resources, and economic development. Please see the position description for more information. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, transcript, and writing sample to Mary Pavel, Partner at mpavel@sonosky.com and also copy kwray@sonosky.com. Applications are due by Friday, October 8th, 2021.

Echo Hawk & Olsen

Associate Attorney – interested in Business Law, Business Litigation, Employment Law and who is enthusiastic about Indian law. Pocatello, ID. Duties include: (1) Drafting tribal codes, business contracts, policy & procedures, regulations & other critical documents; (2) Communicating legal developments clearly and effectively verbally as well as in writing; and (3) Attention to detail, ability to effectively manage time, work in an organized and detailed manner to meet tight deadlines, keep accurate records, and produce desired results. Please see the position description for more information. Please submit cover letter, resume, references, writing sample and salary requirements to reception@echohawk.com.

University of Idaho

Assistant Dean of Admissions, Moscow, ID or Boise, ID. The Assistant Dean will: (1) Report directly to the Dean of the College of Law and serve as a member of the senior leadership team. (2) Recruit for the College’s Native American Law Program, which enjoys significant support from the faculty and administration, as demonstrated by the development of our recent Tribal Homelands Scholarship. Please see the position description for more information. Interested candidates should apply here. The application will remain open until the position is filled.

California Tribal Families Coalition

2022 Summer Law Clerk. Candidates are preferably rising 3Ls, however, 2Ls with relevant experience prior to or while in law school will be considered. CTFC provides an opportunity for summer law clerks with demonstrated interest in Indian law and/or social welfare law and policy. It is helpful if candidates have completed advanced research, writing, and a clinical placement. Primarily remote, but may include an opportunity to meet in-person in Northern California. Projects will vary. Past projects have included drafting state court briefs, research and writing an opposition to appellate case de-publication, developing training materials on state law, and drafting legal and policy strategy for legislation. Please see the position description for more information. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and list of two references to clerkapp@caltribalfamilies.org. Letters of recommendation are optional. All interviews will be conducted remotely. Deadline to apply is November 5th, 2021.

Southern Ute Tribe

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Request for Proposals – Special Prosecutor. Ignacio, CO. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is requesting contract proposals from attorneys or law firms to serve as Special Prosecutor for the Tribe. For full RFP email jrivera@southernute-nsn.gov or call 970-563-2141. Proposals due October 8th at 5 pm MST.

Morongo Band of Mission Indians

In-House Attorney. Banning, CA. Duties include: (1) Providing on-site legal advice to the Tribal Council and various Tribal government and commercial entities regarding a wide variety of matters, including gaming related matters; (2) Attending frequent meetings of the Tribal Council and periodic meetings of the Tribe’s General Membership; (3) Drafting Tribal Ordinances, policies and procedures; (4) Negotiating and documenting commercial transactions; (5) Drafting formational documents of Tribal commercial entities; (6) Negotiating, writing and reviewing various types of contracts, including leases, permits, purchase agreements, development agreements and intergovernmental agreements; (7) and coordinating and working with the Tribe’s outside General Counsel and special counsel. Please see the position description for more information. The position is open until filled. Interested applicants can submit their resume and letter of interest by email to resumes@morongo-nsn.gov. Fill out an employment application here.

Tribal Court Clerk. Banning, CA. Under the direction of the Tribal Court Judge and the general direction of the Tribal Operations Administrator, the Tribal Court Clerk will perform varied duties including but not limited to preparing for and managing the functions of the Tribal Court and performing administrative duties related to the Tribal Court. Please see the position description for more information. Interested candidates should contact the Tribal Administration and Enterprises Human Resources at 951-755-5184. The position is open until filled. 

Healing Wellness Court Coordinator. Banning, CA. Duties include: (1) Facilitating planning, development and implementation for the Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court program; (2) Providing court intervention and early access to therapeutic and treatment services to youth that have entered into the criminal justice system and who may be dealing with issues involving alcohol and/or drug use; (3) In conjunction with Court staff, the Healing to Wellness Court Coordinator is responsible for forming, coordinating, and staffing a multi-disciplinary advisory team; (4) Drafting program policy and procedures to screen and determine eligibility of participants; and (5) Producing deliverables required by the grant and funder (Department of Justice) in a timely fashion. Interested candidates should contact the Tribal Administration and Enterprises Human Resources at 951-755-5184. The position is open until filled. 

Gun Lake Tribe

General Counsel. Shelbyville, MI. Duties include: (1) Providing legal counsel and legal representation to the Gun Lake Tribal Council and departments of the Gun Lake Tribal Government; (2) Advising governmental departments and subordinate entities regarding legal rights, practices and allocation of legal resources; (3) Overseeing the Gun Lake Tribe’s Legal Department, providing oversight, coordinating the activities of retained outside counsel and managing all contracting including monitoring legal costs and issues; and (4) Acting as the Chief Litigator for the Band. Please see the position description for more information. The position is open until filled. Interested applicants should register and apply here.

Foster Garvey PC

Indian Law Attorney. The position may be Associate, Principal, or Of Counsel, as appropriate. Seattle, WA (preferred), Spokane, WA, or Portland, OR. Remote work arrangements may be considered. Duties include: (1) Tribal treaty litigation; (2) Working with tribal clients on a broad range of tribal governance and economic development matters; (3) Developing experience in the attorney’s areas of particular interest; and (4) Representing tribes and tribal entities. Please see the position description for more information. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, résumé, recent writing sample, and list of at least three professional references via the firm’s Careers Portal.

The Wilderness Society

Government Relations / Communications Specialist to the President. Washington, D.C. Duties include: (1) Overseeing the efficient operations of TWS’ legislative advocacy work; (2) Ensuring effective coordination of the Government Relations team internally and across the organization; (3) Supporting priority campaigns by managing special projects; (4) Developing written advocacy materials, and directly engaging congressional offices; (5) Preparing the President for meetings with Members of Congress, the Administration, and other decision makers. Please see the position description for more information. Interested candidates should apply by October 17th.

Native American Rights Fund

Law Librarian. Boulder, CO. Duties include: (1) Providing general library services that support the mission of the National Indian Law Library (NILL); (2) Supporting the legal work of NARF and the Indian law information needs of the general public. Please see the position description for more information. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: Anne Lucke, Library Director, Native American Rights Fund, nill@narf.org. Open until filled with preference given to applications received by October 8th, 2021. See our website for full position description and qualifications: https://www.narf.org/contact-us/join-team/

Alaska Fellow. Anchorage, AK. Duties include: (1) Working with NARF Staff Attorneys and NARF clients in all aspects of complex impact litigation before tribal, state, and federal courts, including factual and legal research, discovery, motion practice, trials, appeals, and amicus briefs; (2) Identifying and researching tribal sovereignty issues, and writing demand letters, legal memoranda, and advocacy letters; (3) Representing NARF and NARF clients before various community and stakeholder groups; (4) Representing NARF clients before federal and state agencies and in regulatory proceedings; (5) Building and leading coalitions with diverse stakeholders and working in partnership with other organizations. Position is for two years only and is not a guarantee of full-time NARF employment after the end of the fellowship. Please see the position description for more information. Interested applicants should apply here by October 13th, 2021.

Gila River Indian Community Office of General Counsel

Assistant General Counsel. Sacaton, AZ. Duties include: (1) Advising and representing the Community in tribal, state and federal courts and administrative bodies; (2) Handling civil regulatory matters; (3) Advising community officials, departments and programs; (4) Assistance in drafting ordinances and resolutions; (5) Drafting and reviewing programmatic policies; and (5) Drafting and reviewing contracts, business agreements and intergovernmental agreements. This position is advertised as open until filled. Please see the position description for more information. Additional details may be found and applications may be initiated at www.gilariver.org.

Prospective Services Attorney. Protective Services Office, located at the Family Advocacy Center. Sacaton, AZ. Duties include: (1) Providing support in various child welfare matters (including dependency, child in need of care, abuse/neglect and juvenile offender cases) and adult protection matters in the Community’s courts; (2) Representing the Community in cases arising under the Indian Child Welfare Act in Arizona and other state courts; and (3) Providing counsel and advice to the Community’s Tribal Social Services Department on substantive issues relating to child welfare. Please see the position description for more information. This position is advertised as open until filled. Additional details may be found and applications may be initiated at www.gilariver.org.

Kanji & Katzen PLLC

Summer 2022 Associate. Seattle, WA and Ann Arbor, MI. Seeking 2L students, but highly motivated 1Ls may apply as well. Applicants should possess a stellar academic and professional record, excellent research and writing skills, and a commitment to serving tribal nations. Prior coursework in Indian law or experience with tribal communities is also highly valued. To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, legal writing sample, law school transcript, references to Terri Walrod (twalrod@kanjikatzen.com) by October 1, 2021.

The Nez Perce Tribe’s Law and Justice Department

Prosecutor. Lapwai, ID. Duties to include: (1) Representing the Tribe in all criminal and juvenile cases before Nez Perce Tribal Court; (2) Reviewing reports and charging cases; (3) Drafting written complaints, motions, proposed orders, legal briefs, jury instructions, sentencing recommendations, and other legal documents; (4) Representing the Tribe in civil prosecutions and Minor-In-Need-Of-Care/ICWA proceedings that come before the Tribal Court; and (5) Supervising an Administrative Legal Assistant, Deputy Prosecutor, and Child Support Enforcement Attorney. Please see the position description for more information. Interested applicants should provide a legal writing sample with application, and resume listing at least three work-related references by October 11, 2021.

Ninth Circuit Briefs in Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California v. State of California

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

State Opening Brief

Counties Amicus Brief

Union Amicus Brief

Answer Brief

Tribal Amicus Brief

 

Lower court materials here.

39th Public Land Law Conference — Sept. 30 through Oct. 1

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

The full agenda and registration link is available here, and below is a teaser about the panel themes and some of the speakers’ recent work. It is approved by Montana for CLE credit and credits may be available for other states too. Registration is free for those not seeking CLE credit.

Opening Night – Sept 30

Offering the opening poetry reading on Thursday is Heather Cahoon, PhD, an award-winning poet and Assistant Professor of Native American Studies & Director of the American Indian Governance & Policy Institute at the University of Montana. Take a listen to this incredible Montana Public Radio interview with Cahoon and then peruse her work, Horsefly Dress: Poems.

Danna Jackson will deliver the opening keynote address. She is Senior Counselor to the Director at the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management. Before receiving her appointment to the Department of Interior, Danna served as chief legal counsel to the State of Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation – the agency that manages Montana’s trust lands, waters, state forests, and conservation initiatives. She has spent the majority of her career in the public sector including as a federal prosecutor and a Hill staffer.

Day 2 Conference

Knowledge: Centering Tribes in Resource Management

Life: Defending the Right to Water

  • Bidtah Becker, Associate Attorney at the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and former Director of the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources, recently co-authored this opinion piece in the Washington Post, highlighting federal obligations to invest in infrastructure to provide clean drinking water for tribal nations.
  • This winter, Jason Anthony Robison, Professor of Law at the University of Wyoming College of Law, and a national expert working at the intersection of water and Indian law, published this article with the Utah Law Review, Indigenizing Grand Canyon.
  • Dylan Hedden-Nicely, Associate Professor of Law & Director of the Native American Law Program at the University of Idaho College of Law, is well-known for his research and publications regarding the effect of climate change on Native American water rights.

Dr. Len Necefer, Founder of Natives Outdoors, will present the Midday Address on Friday. If you are a backcountry winter recreationist, you won’t want to miss Episode 17 of The Fifty Project, in which Dr. Necefer skins up Mt. Tukuhnikivatz with Cody Townsend to teach us about the cultural significance of this mountain to the Navajo Nation.

Voices: Amplifying the Next Generation of Environmental Advocacy in Climate Change

  • Nate Bellinger, Senior Staff Attorney at Our Children’s Trust, and Grace Gibson-Snyder, one of the Youth Plaintiffs in Held v. State of Montana, have exciting news to share: in a recent ruling, Judge Kathy Seeley ruled that the case can proceed to trial on the constitutionality of Montana’s fossil fuel energy policies and recognized that the youth plaintiffs are experiencing significant impacts from the climate crisis, including economic, cultural, physical, and mental health injuries. 
  • Jasilyn Charger, a Land Protector and speaker with Earth Guardians, is most well-known for their organizing at Standing Rock. Get to know Jasilyn before the conference by reading her story on Our Climate Voices.
  • Randall Abate, Professor & Rechnitz Family Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy at Monmouth University, spoke about his book, Climate Change and the Voiceless at a Spring 2020 conference.

Last, but not least: We’re very excited that Supaman, an award-winning Apsáalooke hip hop artist and fancy dancer, will be offering the Closing Address & Performance of the Conference. He has won awards such as the North American Indigenous Image Award for best hip hop, a Native American Music Award for best gospel, the Aboriginal Peoples Music Choice Awards for best video, and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Fight Against the System. If you’re not familiar with Supaman’s music and performance, check it out, and watch this interview on spreading Good Medicine!

News Coverage of Indian Law Issues (9/24/2021)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

CNN: “Mary Johnson, an Indigenous woman, went missing nearly a year ago. While the FBI recently offered a reward, activists say that’s not enough”

Tulsa World: “Native American Voting Rights Act needed to protect our sacred right to vote” [Chuck Hoskin]

Seattle Times: “Swinomish tribal members say steelhead net pens violate fishing rights, add their voice to state Supreme Court case”

CNN: “Fossilized footprints show humans made it to North America much earlier than first thought”

NARF: “Experts Sound Alarm On Line 5 Oil Pipeline Tunnel Climate Impacts”

High Country News: “6 things you should know about the 2021 Native American Voting Rights Act”

Federal Court Rejects Water District’s Affirmative Defenses against US/Walker River Paiute Tribe Water Rights Claims

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the materials in United States v. Walker River Irrigation District (D. Nev.):

2638 Federal-Tribal Joint Motion for Summary J

2649 Principal Defendants’ Response

2659 Reply

2677 DCT Order

Federal Court Rejects Alaska Tribe’s Gaming Claim

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the order in Native Village of Eklutna v. Dept. of Interior (D.D.C.):

71 DCt Order

Briefs here.

Wisconsin Tribes Sue to Stop State’s Idiotic Wolf Hunt

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the materials in Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin v. Cole (W.D. Wis.):

1 Complaint

19 Tribe Motion for Injunction

Federal Court Issues Decision in U.S. v. Washington Subproceeding 19-01

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the updated materials in United States v. Washington (W.D. Wash.), subproceeding 19-01:

61 S’Klallam Response

63 Upper Skagit Response

67 Lummi Response

68 Tulalip Response

69 Swinomish Response

74 Swinomish Reply

76 Upper Skagit Reply

77 Reply

78 Tulalip Reply

79 DCT Order

Earlier briefs here.

Transforming the Legal Academy (9/24/21)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Transforming the Legal Academy
Presented by the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
Friday, September 24, 2021
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (PT)

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law will host a virtual panel to discuss “Transforming the Legal Academy” on Friday, September 24, 2021. We invite law fellows, associates, researchers, law clerks, practitioners and others who are considering entering the higher education academic teaching market to attend. The conference will be hosted in a virtual format.

Participants will learn about the pathways (traditional, practice, LLM/VAP/fellowships) to becoming a law professor and the specific tracks (tenure, clinical, legal writing) to aid in doing so. Participants will also receive advice on how to interview for this profession and be a successful candidate. Learn how to set your research agenda and how to decide what to teach from current law school tenured professors from around the country.