Turtle Talk

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

1. In the email body, a typed brief description of the position which includes
   • position title,
   • location (city, state),
   • main duties,
   • closing date,
   • and any other pertinent details such as links to application;
2. An attached PDF job announcement.

Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc.

Vice President and General Counsel, Anchorage, AK. The Vice President (VP) and General Counsel is a chief legal representative on legal issues related to Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) and affiliate and subsidiary operations regarding contracts, transactions, and risk management of the organization. This position performs complex legal work for CITC and Administration, and advises the President and CEO and Leadership Councils. This position also provides legal support to management and serves as an advisor to the President and CEO business and risk matters. Open until Filled. Apply online and see the position description for more information.

Peublo of Tesuque

Tribal Court Judge (Part-time), located approximately 6 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  The Judge is responsible for the operation and administration of the Tribal Court and all programs operating through it. The Judge will preside over criminal, civil, and child welfare matters. Applicants must be licensed to practice law and have at least three years’ litigation experience in state, federal, or tribal court systems and five years’ experience in federal Indian law. This vacancy is open until filled. This vacancy is open until filled. To be considered for the position, send a letter of interest and resume to hr@pueblooftesuque.org. For more information and an application, please email HR.

Bear River Tribal Court

In House Counsel. Provides advice, instruction and guidance to Tribal Council, Tribal Administrator, Chief of Public Safety and other department directors on legal work matters. The incumbent will complete a variety of professional assignments on behalf of the Bear River Band Tribal Council and governmental departments as assigned. Please see the job description for more information.

Court Attorney. Under the direction of the Chief Judge and direct supervision of the Court Administrator, the incumbent will assist the Chief Judge and Bear River Band Tribal Court in its legal matters. The incumbent will complete a variety of professional assignments on behalf of the Bear River Band Tribal Court as assigned. Attorney will work closely with the Chief Judge and department staff. Please see the job description for more information.

Peebles Kidder

Associate Attorney(s), Sacramento, CA. Seeking entry level Associate and a mid-level Associate with experience in the areas of business transactions, corporate governance, contracts, economic development, or finance.  Our firm is widely recognized for our representation of Indian tribes and tribally owned entities. Applicants should send a resume, cover letter, law school transcript and writing sample. Positions open until filled. For more information please see the job description.

Tulalip Tribe

RFP. Contract for legal services to be provided as a victim advocate attorney for the Tulalip Tribal Victims Set-Aside program for the calendar year of 2020, administered by the Tulalip Tribes Office of Reservation Attorney. Proposals must be submitted no later than 4:30pm on September, 18, 2020. Please see the RFP for more information.

Legal Representation, Tulalip Tribal Court. You will establish an attorney/client relationship with the indigent client and determine what services to provide to the client in order to ensure adequate representation. You shall maintain professional practice standards in providing a level of legal service that does not fall below the minimum professional standards, Rules of Professional Conduct of the Washington State Supreme Court, the Washington State Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and any applicable case law and court rules that define the duties of counsel to their clients.

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

Staff Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, Choctaw, Mississippi. The staff attorney is responsible for providing general staff legal services including on-reservation and off-reservation court appearances and litigation, including some prosecution in tribal criminal court. Applications are open until filled.

Earthjustice

Associate Attorney, Community Partnerships, Washington, D.C. While each of our offices work with local communities, the Community Partnerships Program consists of six attorneys located in New York, DC, and Los Angeles.  The associate attorney will add cross-organization capacity but will focus on matters handled by the DC team whose work includes issues involving waste mismanagement and toxic air pollution. 

Legal Intern, Midwest Regional Office. The Midwest Regional Office partners with impacted communities to fight for clean air, drinking water, and soil. We partner with Tribal Nations and other groups to fight for the protection of the Straits of Mackinac from the risk of an oil spill, defending the Boundary Waters of Minnesota from copper-nickel sulfide mining and fighting to correct years of flooding and inadequate sewage infrastructure in the town of Centreville, Illinois. Our team of attorneys bring a mix of matters under federal environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, as well as state and local statutes, to protect the environment and promote healthy communities. The Midwest Regional Office is currently adding to its docket of work with potential cases in almost every Midwest state. The Fall 2020 position being offered will be remote, based out of New York, Washington DC, Illinois, Philadelphia, Florida, Colorado, Montana, Washington, California, Hawaii, or Alaska.

Director of Strategic Legal Advocacy. Our Director of Strategic Legal Advocacy will help our 150-lawyer team identify and counter these doctrinal trends in the context of our ongoing substantive work. The Director will serve as a resource for monitoring relevant legal developments, as a thought partner for teams confronting relevant doctrinal issues in their matters, and as lead counsel in impact litigation where appropriate. While the Director will focus primarily on Earthjustice’s own advocacy, we anticipate that they will routinely work with Earthjustice’s peers in the broader progressive legal community.

Staff Attorney, Toxic Exposure and Health Program. We expect the staff attorney we hire for this position to play a leading role in developing and leading litigation and seeking opportunities to further the Program’s work using litigation as well as other forms of legal advocacy.  The ideal candidate for this position will have experience with all aspects of complex litigation—including developing cases, motion practice, evidentiary hearings, oral argument, and appeals.  Prior experience with environmental law is not required, but prior experience with administrative law, as well as a demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a public-interest environment, is strongly preferred. While a science background is not required, candidates should be comfortable reading and working with scientific material.

Staff Attorney, Tribal Partnerships. The Tribal Partnerships team works across Earthjustice’s regional offices and programs to develop cross-cutting strategies on behalf of our tribal and Indigenous partners and to provide added capacity and expertise to work on matters of concern to tribes and Indigenous communities. Tribal Partnerships attorneys litigate cases themselves, collaborate and consult with program and regional office attorneys, conduct outreach with tribes and Indigenous communities, and work with Earthjustice’s other teams as needed.

Association on American Indian Affairs

Public Affairs and Outreach Coordinator, Virtual, with the possibility of relocating to the D.C. area (Maryland) after the pandemic. This position is a full-time non-exempt position overseen by the Executive Director. The Public Affairs and Outreach Coordinator is an ambassador for the Association responsible for delivering the Association’s vision, mission and goals to Tribal Nations, Indigenous Peoples and the broader national population, utilizing the Association’s website, social media, press, video and other media and marketing tools. You can find the job posting and information on how to apply here.

The University of Tulsa College of Law

Visiting Professor. Invites applications from both entry-level and experienced faculty for possible visiting faculty positions beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year.  The areas of interest may include, but are not necessarily limited to, contracts and related UCC courses, corporate law, business law, transactional law, energy and natural resource law, torts and other first year and/or required or elective courses. Learn more about the College generally at http://www.law.utulsa.edu.  Please submit letters of interest, résumés and diversity statements to Prof. Robert Butkin, Chair, Appointments Committee, University of Tulsa College of Law, 3120 E. 4th Place, Tulsa, OK 74104, or by email to robert-butkin@utulsa.edu.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Rodney B. Lewis Fellow, American Indian Law and Policy, Washington, DC. Please see the announcement for more information. Open until filled. Apply here.

See posts from August 28, 2020.