Our Practice

We serve the wide-ranging legal needs of Indian tribes and other Native American entities and individuals. Since 1964, our firm has represented tribes and related entities around the country, including in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Nevada, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Oregon, California, Arizona and Alaska. We are experienced in virtually all legal issues that confront our Native American clients.

The firm’s attorneys, most of whom have practiced Indian law for their entire legal careers, have litigated cases for our tribal clients in federal, state and tribal courts. The firm has been before the United States Supreme Court on the merits eight times. In our most recent U.S. Supreme Court case, the firm’s efforts led to a decision affirming treaty hunting and fishing rights against a challenge by the state of Minnesota and allied entities.

In addition to defending treaty hunting and fishing rights, our work involves tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction, taxation, land and water rights, federal government contracting, and natural and cultural resource protection on- and off-reservation. We have assisted with many kinds of economic development, such as renewable energy, timber, retail and gaming projects. We negotiate complex agreements for on-reservation projects with large multi-national corporations. We help our tribal clients develop and improve tribal constitutions and ordinances and the quality of tribal court systems. The firm also has a long record of advocating for tribal interests before Congress, federal agencies, and state and local governments.

Additionally, we have a long history of effectively serving non-tribal clients, including businesses, individuals and public interest groups, regarding a broad range of issues. The firm has done important work representing environmental protection interests before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.