Michigan Public Service Commission Requests More Information re: Enbridge Line 5 Tunnel

Here:

Elizabeth LaPensée

Tribal brief here.

Tribal Brief in Michigan Public Service Commission Case Involving Enbridge Line 5

Here:

Mackinac Island 2020

Friday Job Announcements

Job vacancies are posted on Friday. Some announcements might still appear throughout the week. If you would like your Indian law job posted on Turtle Talk, please email indigenous@law.msu.edu.

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Congressional Advocate on Native American Policy, Washington, D.C. This is a 27-month professional fellowship that begins in October 2017. Application deadline is June 1, 2017.

Open Society Foundations

Leadership in Government Fellowship. Founded to support former senior-level government staff in the United States and its territories who have recently left public service and have played a significant role in advancing social change from within government in the United States and its territories at the local, state, or federal levels.

Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians

Summer Law Clerks, Harbor Springs, MI. LTBB Tribal Court is seeking two unpaid summer law clerks funded through your school or other external sources. Harbor Springs is a resort community on the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan. The Tribal Court is a court of general jurisdiction hearing cases including, but not limited to: criminal, civil, drug court, domestic violence, eviction and children’s cases. The Tribal Court is looking for applications from students interested in working on a huge variety of legal issues. No prior Indian law classes are required, but a genuine interest in Indian law and strong legal research and writing skills are necessary. The following are examples of projects and work to be done by LTBB’s summer clerks:

-Participating on the Drug Court Team,
-Researching Domestic Violence programs that can be integrated into the Tribal Court;
-Research and writing for the Tribal Court;
-Research and writing for the Appellate Court;
-Reviewing novel procedural and constitutional issues;
-Assessing, reviewing, and writing Court Rules and Procedures;
-Working with other units of Tribal Government;
-Working with the Court on establishing special protocol for juvenile cases;
-Working on Indian Child Welfare matters and cases.

Due to the significant cultural events and activities occurring on the reservation the Tribal Court allows time for and encourages our summer clerks to be involved in Tribal functions, events, and activities, as well as activities in the outlying community. Our clerks attend sacred fires and feasts, learn how to cut sweet grass and birch bark and participate in a variety of traditional activities. We assist students in locating appropriate and affordable summer housing. We are a family-friendly employer. Please email cover letters and resumes to Yvonne Brown at ybrown@ltbbodawa-nsn.gov and state your GPA in your cover letter.  We will request transcripts and writing samples for people we are interested in interviewing.

Rothstein Law Firm

Indian Law Associate, Tempe, AZ. Rothstein Donatelli is accepting applications for an Indian law associate position in its Tempe, Arizona office. The position is for an attorney with a minimum of 2 years of Indian law or general legal experience. Candidates should possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Rothstein Donatelli, with offices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM and Tempe, AZ, focuses its practice on federal Indian law, civil rights, white collar criminal defense, and personal injury. Rothstein Donatelli is committed to advancing the sovereign rights of Native American tribes. Please send a cover letter, resume, writing samples and three professional references to Joseph Meserve, Executive Director, P.O. Box 8180, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87504-8180. E-mail responses may be submitted to jmeserve@rothsteinlaw.com. http://www.rothsteinlaw.com

Ho-Chunk Nation

Legislative Attorney, Black River Falls, WI. Works directly with the Nation’s Legislature to assist in drafting tribal laws and resolutions, while also generally providing guidance and advice to the Legislature on issues of Ho-Chunk, Federal, and State law.  This could cover a broad range of issues, including tax, finance, business, gaming, criminal law, jurisdiction, constitutional interpretation, litigation, family law, housing, real estate, employment, environmental, and leasing.  Attorneys for the Nation may also be called upon to advocate for the Nation in judicial, administrative, or political settings.  This position may require some travel as well. The tribe is organized under a Constitution that includes four Branches of government, including the General Council, Legislature, President and Judiciary.  The Legislature’s legal needs are served by the Legislative Counsel and three Legislative Attorneys (who are supervised by the Legislative Counsel).

The Legislature seeks a candidate with a law degree from an accredited law school, with zero to five years of experience, who is (or will become) a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin.  The Ho-Chunk Nation provides a competitive salary with benefits.  See attached job description. Interested persons can send a cover letter and resume to the following: Michael Murphy, Legislative Counsel, Ho-Chunk Nation, P.O. Box 667, Black River Falls, WI 54615.

National American Indian Housing Council

Deputy Director, Washington, D.C. This high-level position serves as a senior leader on organizational operations and reports directly to the Executive Director. The position directs all aspects of the organization’s administrative services and operations in support of NAIHC. This position supervises administrative personnel and coordinates departmental administrative personnel for general clerical, financial and administrative support activities; assures that good customer service is provided from support staff through proper training and mentoring; works closely with the Executive Director for planning, budgeting, member services, management and grant management. The Deputy Director is responsible for procurement and contracting services and for the development, implementation and monitoring of written policies governing NAIHC. The Deputy Director works closely with the Executive Director to ensure that the program, events and financial objectives of NAIHC’s strategic plan are met. This position provides support in the areas of grant writing, program compliance, statistical analysis, project/program development, technical assistance, and facilitates collection and analysis of membership data including periodic membership needs assessment.

Minimum candidate qualifications include: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business or related field; Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in non-profits, including experience in non-profit finance, internal controls, policy, human resource management, program development, and event planning. Must possess excellent supervisory and planning skills; strong written and oral communication skills. Candidates should send their resume and cover letter to careers@naihc.net. Please place “Deputy Director” in the subject line. For more information on NAIHC visit http://www.naihc.net. Position will be open until filled.

The Honorable Allie Greenleaf Maldonado and Prof. Angela Riley Honored in International Women’s Day Portrait Exhibit at Harvard Law School

Cambridge, Mass, March 3, 2016 – The Honorable Allie Greenleaf Maldonado and Prof. Angela Riley are among 25 inspiring women who will be honored during Harvard Law School’s third Annual International Women’s Day Celebration, organized by the Harvard Women’s Law Association (WLA) and Harvard Law and International Development Society (LIDS). Judge Maldonado is the Chief Judge of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB). Judge Maldonado is a Co-Chair of the first Tribal State Federal Judicial Forum, and a nationally recognized expert on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA).

Honorees were selected from nominations submitted by Harvard Law School students, faculty and staff.

As part of the celebrations, Judge Maldonado will be featured in a portrait exhibit, which will be displayed in the halls of the law school from February 29th- March 11th.

In addition to the portrait exhibit, the WLA and LIDS will be hosting a lunch event recognizing the honorees.  The event will take place at the law school on Tuesday, March 8th from 12:00-2:00pm.

Speakers at the March 8 event include Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts; Mindy J. Roseman, Director of International Programs and Gruber Program on Global Justice and Women’s Rights at Yale Law School; and Roxanne Conlin, one of the first women ever to be named U.S. Attorney, and the first female president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

More information about the event is available at https://orgs.law.harvard.edu/womeninspiringchange/

The website includes portraits of all this year’s honorees, as well as honorees in previous years.

For more information, contact: Anna Andreeva (aandreeva@jd17.law.harvard.edu) and Alice Prinsley (aprinsley@jd17.law.harvard.edu).

Presentation on Native Representations at the American Camp Association National Conference

Eric Hemenway, Anne Henningfeld, and Emily Proctor outside their well-attended panel.

IMG_0571

First Same Sex Couple Married at LTBB Invited to White House

Tim LaCroix and his longtime partner, Gene Barfield, will be guests of President Barack Obama on Thursday at a reception honoring LGBT Pride Month, MLive.com reportedtoday. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

The men were married in March by the LittleTraverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, of which LaCroix is a member. Same-sex marriage is prohibited in Michigan, but federally recognized Native American tribes are self-governing and aren’t bound by state law.

Story here.

Previous coverage here.

Little Traverse Bay Bands Odawa Council Enacts Same-Sex Marriage Statute — UPDATED

Well, we know they passed it, but no news coverage yet. Here is the March 2 work session agenda, and the March 3 tribal council meeting  agenda — both reference that the marriage law was up for approval.

UPDATE: Here are the draft meeting minutes, showing a 5-4 vote in favor.