JOB: Assistant US Attorney

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ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
District of Montana
Missoula Branch Office
Vacancy Announcement # 08-MT-06

About the Office: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana is a smaller office with the main office in Billings and staffed branch offices in Butte, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula. The Missoula Branch Office handles various criminal cases which include, extortion, threats, environmental crime, child pornography, on-line predators, economic crime, public corruption, immigration, and drugs. The Missoula Branch Office staff consists of the Deputy Criminal Chief, two Assistant U.S. Attorneys, a Paralegal Specialist, and a Legal Assistant.

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: This Assistant U.S. Attorney will be the fourth AUSA in the office and will serve as one of the narcotics prosecutors for the District of Montana. This particular position will handle Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and non-OCDETF narcotics cases. In addition to trial work, other areas of responsibility include interaction with multi-jurisdictional drug task forces and training of officers. The AUSA will also be responsible for appellate work.

Qualifications:
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and be licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or District of Columbia, and have at least one year post-J.D. experience, and demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, and electronic e-mail and word processing systems. Applicants must be active members in good standing of the bar (any jurisdiction). An applicant must either be a member of the Montana Bar or be willing to sit for the Montana Bar exam and take steps to become a member of the Montana Bar shortly after joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The position has promotion potential to an AD-29.
Preferred qualifications: Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case. Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and writing skills as well as strong research and interpersonal skills, and good judgment. Applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. Experience with automated electronic court filing.

Travel: Travel will be required.

Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorneys’ pay is administratively determined based in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The current recruiting range of pay is $48,310 – $127,864. The District does not anticipate having the financial resources to offer a salary at the top of the range. These rates include locality pay of 13.18%.
Location: Missoula, Montana is a vibrant community with great diversity providing many opportunities for new businesses, families and individuals seeking to experience the Montana quality of life. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, Missoula is one of the west’s most sophisticated smaller cities. Population is about 60,000 in the city and 90,000 in the county. Industries that support Missoula include: wood products, government, medical, education, small business and tourism. The University of Montana is in Missoula and has in excess of 14,000 students.

Recreational opportunities in Missoula are abundant and compliment the Montana life style. Missoula is rich in cultural attractions ranging from symphony, arts, live theater, historical museums, shops, galleries and numerous sporting activities and events. Within a couple miles of Missoula, outdoor enthusiasts can experience several recreational opportunities complimented by four seasons in the millions of acres of wilderness and recreation area. There are many lakes, rivers and ski areas for outside recreation.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Application Process and Deadline Date: Interested applicants should send a detailed resume and cover letter to the address below. The material should include information regarding the education and professional background of the candidate and a listing of all bar memberships.

United States Attorney’s Office
Attn: Kora Connolly
2929 3rd Avenue North, Suite 400,
Billings, MT 59101.

No telephone calls please. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on the closing date, which is August 15, 2008. Please note Vacancy Announcement # 08-MT-06 on your application. If you prefer, you can email your resume and cover letter to kora.connolly@usdoj.gov. Applications sent via email must be received by 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on August 15, 2008.

Internet Sites: This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.htmlhttp://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae/home
Department Policies: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed. See 28 U.S.C. § 545 for district-specific information.
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, status as a parent, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys’ Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department’s mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans’ preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.

Intertribal Court of Southern California – Temet Aguilar (’02)

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New home more centrally located, officials say
By EDWARD SIFUENTES – Staff Writer Wednesday, July 30, 2008 11:05 PM PDT

The Intertribal Court of Southern California has a new home at the Rincon Indian Reservation. Lisa Powless, the court’s clerk, answers phones at the new location. (Photo by Edward Sifuentes – Staff Photographer) The Intertribal Court of Southern California has a new home at the Rincon Indian Reservation. Temet Aguilar, the court’s administrator, said the facility is scheduled for a grand opening ceremony Friday. (Photo by Edward Sifuentes – Staff Photographer)

RINCON INDIAN RESERVATION —- The fledgling Intertribal Court of Southern California has a new home at the Rincon Indian Reservation.The 3-year-old court deals with legal issues that arise on local American Indian reservations, such as civil disputes and land use, housing and family matters. It serves as an appeals court, mediator and arbitrator for 10 San Diego County tribes.Until earlier this month, the court was housed in an office building in Escondido. The Rincon tribe offered to remodel a building at its reservation on Golsh Road. The building was formerly occupied by the Indian Health Council, a clinic serving local tribal communities.Rincon will lease the building to the court for $1 a year, said Temet Aguilar, the court’s administrator. On Wednesday, construction workers were at work remodeling the 4,000-square-foot building, half of which will be used by the court. The space includes a reception area, administrative offices, a library, a conference room and a courtroom. The building is more than just a new home for the fledgling court, Aguilar said. “What this represents is the tribes entering into the modern era of their development by exercising their sovereignty,” Aguilar said. In 2006, retired Superior Court Commissioner Anthony Brandenburg was sworn in as the intertribal court’s judge. Brandenburg said the intertribal court fills a judicial gap that was created by the federal government in the 1950s. In California and several other states, law enforcement agencies, such as the sheriff’s department, have jurisdiction over criminal matters under a federal law called Public Law 280. However, sheriff’s deputies cannot enforce laws enacted by tribal governments, such as land use, hunting and illegal dumping ordinances. And outside courts don’t have authority to settle disputes among tribal members, such as trespassing, evictions and other minor infractions. Federal courts handle felony cases on the reservations. On local reservations, tribal councils, usually made up of five elected officials, serve as “judges” over disputes that occur in their reservations. They also are sometimes called upon to settle patron disputes in their casinos.Since most local tribes are small, family conflicts can often occur when disputes erupt in tribal communities. For tribes that participate in the system, the intertribal court serves as an independent judiciary, where people can appeal tribal council decisions, Brandenburg said. The court “takes the personal and political aspect out of it,” Brandenburg said. The member tribes are: Los Coyotes Band of Mission Indians, La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Nation, Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians, Pala Band of Cupeno Indians, Pauma Yuima Band of Mission Indians, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians, San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Indians and Jamul Indian Village. The intertribal court is largely funded by its member tribes and assistance from the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, a nonprofit organization that administers various welfare, educational and cultural programs for local tribes. Last year, the intertribal court handled about 100 cases. Most of the cases involved trespass disputes and family matters, such as child custody and child support disputes. It served as a mediator or arbiter in about 25 other cases, Aguilar said. The new location, which is more centrally located for most local tribes, may drive up demand for the court. It is also conveniently located near the Indian Health Council, which serves many of the same tribes as the court, said Court Clerk Lisa Powless. “I feel more involved in the community,” Powless said referring to the new location. “I like it.”

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.

NPR on Dorgan Bill

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Below is a link to the audio of the NPR story on the Dorgan bill. Salt River President Diane Enos (’92) is quoted both in the short article and is interviewed in the audio.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92833011

Nation
Bill Bolsters Tribal Power To Prosecute Rape Cases
by Jenny Gold

Listen Now add to playlist

Previous Coverage
In an award-winning series, NPR’s Laura Sullivan reported on the prevalence of rape on tribal lands and the difficulty in prosecuting sexual assault cases.
July 25, 2007Rape Cases On Indian Lands Go Uninvestigated
July 26, 2007Legal Hurdles Stall Rape Cases On Native Lands

All Things Considered, July 23, 2008 · Native American women are far more likely to be raped than other women – and tribal officials say many incidents on reservations across the country go unreported and uninvestigated, NPR’s Laura Sullivan reported a year ago on All Things Considered.

The Justice Department estimates that 1 in 3 Native American women will be raped in her lifetime, and most victims who do report their assaults describe their attackers as non-Native. Legally, tribal authorities can do little to stop them. Chickasaw Tribal Police Chief Jason O’Neal told NPR in 2007 that “many of the criminals know Indian lands are almost a lawless community that they can do whatever they want.”

For the past year, the Senate has held hearings on reservations nationwide on how to stop the assaults. The resulting legislation, called the Tribal Law and Order Act, was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday by Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, who is chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Dorgan’s bill has three primary goals. First, it would make it easier for tribal police like O’Neal to arrest non-Indians who commit federal crimes on tribal lands, including sexual assault. Second, it would increase the sentencing power of tribal courts by allowing them to put convicted tribal members behind bars for three years instead of one – and even send them to federal prison. Third, the bill would increase accountability for U.S. attorneys by requiring them to keep a record of every case on tribal lands they decline to prosecute.

“I think now the women finally have a voice,” said Georgia Littleshield, director of the Pretty Bird Woman House domestic violence shelter on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in South Dakota.

“I sit with women who cry and are mad because the feds didn’t want to pick up the case. This bill, I think, would give women more of a right, that the prosecutor’s got to be more accountable for federal jurisdiction on these cases. And he’s going to have to be accountable for the cases he doesn’t prosecute,” Littleshield said.

But others have their doubts about the legislation, including Diane Enos, president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona. She says the bill is better than nothing, but it doesn’t do enough. With money from their successful gaming casinos, the Pima-Maricopa tribe has been able to hire its own police. But even with extra security for the community, tribal officials still cannot prosecute non-Indian assailants.

“You’ve got Congress people who are scared stiff of seeing tribes get authority over non-Indians. I’m not sure that they understand why, but it’s almost a knee-jerk reaction. If they came, took the time to come here to look at our courts, our police departments and the due process we afford, maybe they would feel a little bit different,” Enos says.

The Justice Department is concerned that giving tribes the right to send offenders to federal prisons will cause overcrowding.

Nonetheless, the Senate bill is gaining bipartisan momentum. A companion bill is expected soon in the House.

JOBS: Sault Tribe and Sac & Fox

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Tribal Attorney — Prosecutor
Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Must have a JD and be admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and 3 y ears of training or experience in Indian Law and tribal court prosecution is preferred. Submit resumes to: Sault Tribe Human Resource Department, 2186 Shunk, Sault Ste Marie, MI 49783 906.635.7032. fax 906.635.4992 or apply online at www.saulttribe.com

Assistant Attorney General
Sac & Fox Tribe in Iowa
Must have a JD from an ABA accredited law school and 3 years experience in Federal Indian law. Send or fax resume by August 8, 2008 to Personnel, 349 Meskwaki Rd. Tama, Iowa 52339. For more info: 641.484.4678 fax: 641.484.8478.

JOBS: Hopi Tribe

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Assistant General Counsel I & II
Office of General Counsel

The Hopi Tribe is seeking attorneys for its Office of General Counsel. The Assistant General Counsels work on a wide variety of legal issues in the course of advising the Hopi Tribal Council in carrying out its legislative and other governmental responsibilities. The attorneys will assist the Office of General Counsel in meeting the Tribe’s litigation, economic development, administrative, and sovereignty objectives. The attorneys must have substantive experience in Federal Indian Law and have the ability to work effectively with tribal leaders and community members. The Tribe prefers that applicants have five or more years of experience. Applicants must be a member of the Arizona State Bar or able to become a member within one year of taking the position. This position will remain open until filled or withdrawn. To apply, please send letters of interest with a resume and a self-edited writing sample to: Scott Canty, Office of General Counsel, The Hopi Tribe, P.O. Box 123, Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039. Electronic submissions in Word format will be accepted and can be sent to scanty0856@aol.com. For any questions, the Office of General Counsel can also be reached at: 928-734-3140; fax: 928-734-3149.

Deputy General Counsel
Office of General Counsel

The Hopi Tribe is seeking a Deputy General Counsel for its Office of General Counsel to provide professional legal counsel and representation to the Hopi Tribal Government — including the legislative and executive branches of the Hopi Tribe, administrative departments, offices and programs — as specified by the Tribal Council and the General Counsel. The Deputy General Counsel manages the day-to-day and administrative matters of the Office of General Counsel, including staff oversight. The Deputy General Counsel must have substantive experience in Federal Indian law and have the ability to work effectively with tribal leaders and community members as his/her duties will focus on the priority areas and issued as assigned by the Tribal Council and the General Counsel. The Tribe requires applicants to have a J.D. and at least six years of experience. Applicants must be a member of the Arizona State Bar or able to become a member within one year of taking the position. This position will remain open until filled or withdrawn. To apply, please send letters of interest with a resume and a self-edited writing sample to: Scott Canty, Office of General Counsel, The Hopi Tribe, P.O. Box 123, Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039. Electronic submissions in Word format will be accepted and can be sent to scanty0856@aol.com. For any questions, the Office of General Counsel can also be reached at: 928-734-3140; fax: 928-734-3149.

JOB: Yavapai-Apache Chief Judge – Campe Verde

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Yavapai-Apache Nation located in Camp Verde, Arizona is hiring for the following position:

CHIEF JUDGE
The Chief Judge presides over and ensures the proper operation of the Yavapai-Apache Nation Tribal Court. The Chief Judge is the primary judicial officer of the Tribal Court and is the administrator of the Nation’s Courts: Tribal and Appellate.

  • Preferred State Licensed Attorney in Good Standing.
  • Minimum three years full-time equivalent judicial experience required.
  • Minimum two years judicial administrative experience required.
  • Must never have been convicted of a felony, or convicted of a misdemeanor within the past 10 years other than minor traffic violations.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation offers a competitive benefit and compensation package:
Medical Health Care Insurance; 401K; Dental; Vision; Life Insurance; Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance; Short & Long Term Disability Insurance.

PAY RATE: D.O.E; Plus Tribal Benefit PackagePOSITION STATUS: Full-time Position; Two-year Term

OPEN UNTIL: August 1, 2008

To apply and see a full job description, contact Yavapai-Apache Nation, Human Resources at (928) 567-1062 or email resume to dkplunkett@yan-tribe.org

INDIAN PREFERENCE:
Preference will be given to qualified applicants who are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe.Successful candidates must pass a drug screening and background check.

Homeland Security CLE

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Homeland Security in Indian Country
http://www.abanet.org/cle/programs/t08hsi1.html

Next Wednesday, July 23, 20081:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Central11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Mountain 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Pacific

Since 9/11, there has been a number of issues involving the intersection of tribal sovereignty and homeland security. Many reservations are located along the U.S. border and are therefore vital to the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in securing the nation. DHS now provides funding to tribal governments for this purpose. But despite the fact that tribes have all the same law enforcement and homeland security responsibilities as state governments, 9/11 legislation and administrative policy have not always integrated tribal governments.
Attend this teleconference and live audio webcast to learn about the unique issues tribal governments face in addressing homeland security issues and in working with DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Diane Humetewa will address DOJ’s position on matters affecting homeland security, especially after 9/11. Edward Reina will address Indian Country law enforcement efforts, and the limitations under which tribal police work. Heather Dawn Thompson will address how tribal governments are approaching DOJ, the DHS, and Congress about working together on tribal homeland security issues.

Kirke Kickingbird (Moderator), Chair, IRR Native American Concerns Committee; Of Counsel, Hobbs, Strauss, Dean & Walker, LLP, Oklahoma City, OK

Diane Humetewa, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ

Edward Reina, Director of Public Safety, Tohono O’odham Nation,Sells, AZ

Heather Dawn Thompson, Director of Government Affairs, National Congress of American Indians, Washington, DC

Horizon to feature Bender

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Professor Paul Bender of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law will give his annual review of U.S. Supreme Court cases during “Horizon,” airing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, on KAET-TV Channel 8. Bender is expected to address several major rulings of the court, including one pertaining to the Washington, D.C., handgun ban and its upholding of habeas corpus for Guantánamo Bay prisoners. He also will discuss the court’s upcoming session and the impact that the outcome of the presidential race will have on the court’s makeup. The program will be repeated on Monday, Aug. 18.

JOB – Navajo Nation Attorney

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Attorney position – $52,853 per year

Closing date is July 18, 2008 at 5:00 pm.

For application, job description, or submittal of completed application contact the Department of Personnel Management.

PO Box 7080
window Rock, AZ 86515
Phone: 928.871.6330

Navajo Preference and Navajo Veterans Preference Laws applicable