San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
Tuba City, AZ

The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, located in Tuba City, Arizona, is seeking to hire a General Counsel as the principal legal officer of the Tribe. For two years, the Tribe’s current General Counsel has assisted the Tribe in building foundational government infrastructure, but is now transitioning to provide special counsel legal services to the Tribe in the areas of land, water and other special projects. As a result, the Tribe now seeks to hire a new General Counsel.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal legal officer of the Tribe and report directly to the Tribal Council.
• Provide professional legal counsel and representation to the Tribal government.
• Assist the Tribal Council with governance matters and identify legal issues.
• Implement legal strategies necessary to meet Tribal priorities as directed by the Tribal Council.
• Provide legal advice and assistance to Tribal Administration in carrying out the daily functions of the Tribal government.
• Draft and review laws, codes, ordinances, policies, procedures, manuals, handbooks and resolutions.
• Draft legal and policy memoranda, correspondence, and other documents.
• Coordinate work with other attorneys retained by the Tribe for various matters, including, but not limited to, land, water and gaming.

Qualifications and Skills

• Education: Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Member of the State Bar of Arizona in good standing with no past or present disciplinary actions or member of another state bar with the ability to obtain Arizona bar license within one (1) year of hire.
• At least 5 years of experience practicing law in the field of Federal Indian Law and/or Tribal Law.
• Ability to work efficiently, cooperatively and professionally in a highly complex field of law.
• Ability to educate and explain topics in a wide variety of legal matters to enable informed decision-making by the Tribal Council.
• Preferred, but not required: Prior experience as legal counsel to a tribal government; Navajo Nation bar license or ability to obtain license within one (1) year of hire.