Author Archives: dwilliams

Job opportunity: Attorney-Adviser

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Department of the Interior
Office of the Solicitor
Phoenix, AZ

This position is in the excepted service and not subject to competitive service procedures.
Merit promotion procedures do not apply.
This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

As an Attorney-Adviser with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Intermountain region, Phoenix Field Office, located in Phoenix, AZyour specific duties will include:

  • Providing advice on and legal services for matters pertaining to the various agencies within the Department of the Interior, primarily for, but not limited to, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation.
  • Providing advice and legal services on the topics of public lands management and western water law relating to laws and regulations of general applicability to Federal agencies, such as the Federal Land Management and Policy Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, National Reclamation Act, and other relevant federal laws.
  • Providing litigation support on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior and various Interior agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation, to the Department of Justice and practicing before the Interior Board of Land Appeals.
  • Involves knowledge of water law; public lands law; federal and state litigation procedure; the federal Indian trust responsibility and statutes relating to interactions between the federal government and Tribes; federal environmental laws; real property laws; contracts, financial assistance, and cooperative agreements.
  • Requires the ability to analyze legal requirements and succinctly provide advice and counsel to technical/non-legal professionals; and the ability to interact and negotiate with outside entities, including Tribes, States, and local governmental entities, regarding contracts, agreements, and other matters.

For full job description and to apply, go to Job Posting.

Job opportunity: MMIP Regional Coordinator

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Applications are now being accepted for an MMIP Regional Coordinator GS-12, in the Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff offices.

Deadline: 10/4/23

$86,343 – $112,246 per year

At the full performance level, as a Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and designated MMIP Regional Outreach Program Region, you will join a team responsible for carrying out the public safety mission of the Department of Justice, the Program Region, and USAOs in the District of Alaska, Oregon, Arizona, Western Michigan, or Northern Oklahoma. In this role, you will perform a variety of duties to promote the effective communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, state, Tribal and local law enforcement, and non-governmental resources to prevent and resolve Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) related cases and issues.

Announcement link open to the public: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/750069000

Announcement link for federal employees and individuals eligible for special hiring authorities: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/750067900

Job opportunity: Associate Attorney Position

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Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP is seeking applications for an Associate Attorney who will work in-person in the Washington, DC office.

Hobbs Straus is a national law firm with offices in Washington, DC; Portland, OR; Oklahoma City, OK; and Sacramento, CA.  Hobbs Straus specializes in Federal Indian Law and has worked for 40 years to realize positive change in Indian Country.  Our attorneys are dedicated to promoting and defending Tribal Nations’ rights and exercise of sovereignty, expanding opportunities for Tribal Nations, and improving the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Qualifications for candidates include:

  • A strong academic performance;
  • Superior research and writing skills;
  • Strong communication skills; and
  • A commitment to Federal Indian Law.

The position would begin immediately upon hire.

To apply, interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, unofficial law school transcript, writing sample, and references to Tisa Perry at bperry@hobbsstraus.com.

Please reach out to Tisa or to Katie Klass at kklass@hobbsstraus.com with any questions.  We will contact all applicants after we make our hiring decision.  However, should you receive another offer or otherwise want an update before you hear from us, please reach out to Tisa or Katie.

Thank you for your interest in Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP.

Washington, DC Office Location:
1899 L Street, NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 822-8282

Job opening: ASU Tribal Relations Director

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Arizona State University
Office of Government & Community Engagement

Serves as primary liaison between the University and tribal nations/communities locally, regionally, and globally to develop partnerships and seek to embrace and connect with tribal communities enabling both success of American Indian students by providing a climate of cultural respect and inclusion, and research integrity when working with tribal nations, communities, and native people.

Works in partnership with the Special Advisor to the President to assist the Office of American Indian initiatives.

See job announcement (pdf) and apply.

Indian Law articles published by ASU Law students

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We are so proud of our recent grads! ASU Law’s legal writing program has prepared ILP alumni Noah Goldenberg (’23) and Claire Newfeld (’23) with valuable skills needed for the legal profession. 

Goldenberg was one of 25 recipients of the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award – Law School from the Burton Awards for his article “Indian Embryos as ‘Indian Children?’”

Newfeld won The Scribes Law-Review Award for her paper “Indian Boarding School Deaths and the Federal Tort Claims Act: A Route to a Remedy.”

Both of their articles were published in the Arizona State Law Journal.

Read more in the ASU Law Newsroom article: ASU Law students win national legal writing awards

Increasing Native representation at the American Bar Association

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At this year’s annual ABA meeting, lawyers and legal advocates gathered to support two prominent Native American legal warriors: John Echohawk (Pawnee Nation) and Mary Smith (Cherokee Nation.)

John Echohawk, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, received the ABA’s Thurgood Marshall Award for his service in protecting and fighting for the rights of Indian Country. Dallin Maybee (’11), NARF director of development, sang the honor song with Steve LaPointe.

Stacy Leeds, the first Indigenous dean at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, administered the oath ceremony for Mary Smith, the first Native American woman to lead the American Bar Association. 

(Photo courtesy Native American Rights Fund)

Congratulations to both John and Mary! Your leadership greatly bolsters Native Americans in the legal profession and strengthens Indian Country.

Call for articles

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The Law Journal for Social Justice (LJSJ) at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is seeking articles, notes, or comments for our Spring 2024 issue. We publish articles on a range of interdisciplinary topics at the intersection of law and social justice. In our Spring 2024 publication, we are looking for articles on topics centering around violent crime, Indigenous issues, and social justice. 

If you would like to submit your work for publication in Volume XIX of the Law Journal for Social Justice, you can submit your article to ljsjeic@gmail.com or to Managing Editor Tyler DeMers at tjdemers@asu.edu. 

Additionally, LJSJ is currently seeking out Symposium panelists who are interested in speaking on the topics of violent crime, Indigenous issues, and social justice for our Spring Symposium in February of 2024. If you have legal scholarship or research on these topics and are interested in participating in the Symposium, or if you have any questions regarding the Symposium, please feel free to contact Symposium Natalia Sells (3L) at nlsells@asu.edu. 

For more information regarding the Law Journal for Social Justice, please go to: https://lawjournalforsocialjustice.com/.

Job opportunities with New Mexico Legal Aid

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New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA) provides civil legal services to low-income New Mexicans for a variety of legal issues including domestic violence/family law, consumer protection, housing, and benefits. NMLA has locations throughout the state including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gallup, Roswell, Silver City, Clovis, Hobbs, Las Vegas, Taos, and Santa Ana.

Staff Attorney posting 8.4.2023

Director for Native American Program 8.1.2023

Pathways to the Bench: Honorable Diane J. Humetewa (’93)

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As the first Native American federal judge, Honorable Diane J. Humetewa (’93) holds her Hopi tribal homelands close to her heart. Being in a position that serves a great purpose has allowed her to mentor and empower future Native American leaders. In Nov. 2022, she invited ASU Law students to visit her chambers and learn about her pathway to the bench.