{"id":11884,"date":"2019-04-19T18:25:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-19T18:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/ilp\/?p=11884"},"modified":"2021-09-21T18:28:05","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T18:28:05","slug":"where-are-they-now-lyndee-wells-89","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/ilp\/2019\/04\/19\/where-are-they-now-lyndee-wells-89\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are they now? LynDee Wells (’89)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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LynDee Wells<\/strong> (\u201989, Gros Ventre\/Chippewa) works as a tribal attorney for the Suquamish Tribe, a position she has held for eight years.

\u201cThis part of my journey has been extremely satisfying \u2013 I am excited to come to work each day, truly enjoy everyone that I work with and for, and feel that I\u2019ve made a contribution,\u201d Wells said. \u201cBut I\u2019m 67 years old now, thinking it might be time to slow down a bit!\u201d

After retiring in 2010, Wells was invited to work on a one-year project for Suquamish, which moved all Suquamish\u2019s fee lands into trust status. 

\u201cWe successfully returned over 35% of the reservation to tribal trust and continue to acquire and repatriate the Suquamish people\u2019s homeland,\u201d Wells said. \u201cInstead of a one-year project, I\u2019ve now been here eight years working on \u2018nation building\u2019 projects.\u201d

After Wells graduated from the ILP in 1989, she clerked for Chief Justice Frank Gordon with the Arizona Supreme Court. From 1990 to 2011, she worked in private practice representing tribal governments and entities doing business with tribes. First, she worked with Winthrop and Stimson as an associate in their D.C. offices. She then with Dorsey & Whitney as a partner. 

\u201cThe issues I worked on were very diverse \u2014 from helping the Elwha Tribe secure legislation that resulted in the successful removal of two dams that had blocked 72 miles of salmon habitat, to helping finance large economic development projects for tribal governments,\u201d Wells said. \u201cWhen I decided to go to law school, I thought I\u2019d be working on treaty-related issues. I never dreamed that I would be working on multimillion-dollar economic development projects!\u201d

Wells now lives in Washington with nine family members in the house she built in Suquamish last year. She has raised three children and two grandchildren throughout her career.

\u201cIt is difficult to remember to strike that work-life balance, but it is worth it,\u201d Wells said.

Q: What is the most valuable lesson you learned in the classroom that has helped you in your career? <\/strong>

A:<\/strong> Analytical and critical thinking and getting outside my comfort zone. Law school was the first time I had any experience outside of Indian Country. Classroom experiences were scary at first \u2014 first semester I thought I\u2019d been hit with the stupid stick because all of my classmates were so smart!  I had to learn to be more assertive and engage with others who had life experiences so different from mine. Several professors were instrumental in this learning \u2014 Professors Michal and Rebecca Birch, Professor Charles Calleros, many, many others and especially Dean Paul Bender.

Q:<\/strong>Is there anything you’ve learned after graduating that you wished you learned in class?  <\/strong>

A: <\/strong>Of course learning and applying what you\u2019ve learned are two very different animals. I think the grounding in solid legal writing and analysis are the most important tools I learned in law school. The substantive elements of the practice of law learned in the classroom are of course important (thank you Professor Calleros for the starting blocks underlying my ability to practice contract law), but I believe the practice of law is often learn as you grow.

Q: What is your advice for current students? <\/strong>

A: <\/strong>Don\u2019t start your career working for your own tribe. Get as many diverse experiences as you can and bring that knowledge home.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LynDee Wells (\u201989, Gros Ventre\/Chippewa) works as a tribal attorney for the Suquamish Tribe, a position she has held for eight years. \u201cThis part of my journey has been extremely satisfying \u2013 I am excited to come to work each … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni"],"yoast_head":"\nWhere are they now? 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