Native American

July 05, 2024
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.
July 05, 2024
DOJ Says Ayahuasca Church Doesn't Deserve $2.2M Fees

The U.S. government is urging an Arizona federal judge to deny a Phoenix church's request for $2.2 million in fees and costs following a settlement allowing it to use ayahuasca in its religious practices, saying no fees are warranted for an unnecessary suit that would've reached the same resolution through normal processes.
July 03, 2024
Lawmakers Want Answers In Kan. Tribal College Investigation

A group of congressional lawmakers is urging the Bureau of Indian Education director to assist in their ongoing investigation of misconduct by Haskell Indian Nations University, the Interior Department and the federal agency itself, saying they have repeatedly asked for documentation identifying the specific allegations.
July 03, 2024
Alaskan Tribe Says It Can't Get Access To Burial Site

The governing body of an Alaska Native Tribe is suing several state entities and the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming they are preventing the tribe from performing excavations of archaeological artifacts and ancestral remains found during construction of an airport runway.
July 03, 2024
California Tribe Sues Over 'Princeology' RICO Scheme

A California tribe is suing its former council chairwoman and two members of her nonprofit's board of directors, alleging they devised a scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and insurance costs to cover her Prince memorabilia collection and continue to "squat" on its property to block its sale.
July 03, 2024
FCC Denies 'Blanket Amnesty' If Cos. Drop Network Projects

The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it will not provide blanket relief from FCC penalties against broadband providers that pull out of rural deployment commitments, but will weigh companies' individual circumstances.
July 03, 2024
After Chevron Deference: What Lawyers Need To Know

This term, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, a precedent established 40 years ago that said when judges could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking. Here, catch up with Law360's coverage of what is likely to happen next.
July 02, 2024
Tribal Nations Want In On Red States' Water Rule Dispute

Seven tribal nations are asking a North Dakota federal court for permission to intervene in a group of red states' challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule revision that considers tribal rights in addressing water quality standard regulations, arguing that their rights to aquatic resources could be harmed should the law be overturned.
July 02, 2024
Georgia Wants 11th Circ. To Undo Blocks On Election Law

The state of Georgia has urged the Eleventh Circuit to undo the enjoining of two provisions of the state's controversial 2021 election law, including a ban on handing out food and drinks to voters waiting in line that the state called a "prophylactic" against electoral interference.
July 02, 2024
Calif. Tribe Members Say Racial Ancestry Case Is Valid

Family members seeking control of the California Valley Miwok Tribe have told a federal court that the U.S. Department of the Interior wrongly claims they must submit to a process designed to determine their racial ancestry, even though the process is unregulated.
July 02, 2024
Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates nearly 150 times in June on issues including broadband map accuracy, next-generation 911, prison phone rates, a new missing-persons code and rules to restrict bulk billing in apartment buildings.
July 02, 2024
Enbridge, Tribes Spar Over Payout In Pipeline Trespass Row

Enbridge Energy told the Seventh Circuit a recent ruling that resulted in a tribe receiving a nearly $400 million payout for trespassing does not apply to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe's current trespass challenge, arguing the district court recognized that this case presents a different set of facts.
July 02, 2024
Native American Activist Leonard Peltier Denied Parole

The U.S. Parole Commission on Tuesday denied parole for Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist serving a life sentence for his conviction in the 1975 slayings of two FBI agents, despite an array of calls for clemency over the years from such luminaries as Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, as well as tribes, civil rights groups and federal lawmakers.
July 02, 2024
Data Analysis Shows Swift Influx In EPA Brownfield Grants

A Law360 Real Estate Authority analysis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's brownfield grant awards since the program's inception shows a steep increase in funding, particularly in funding of cleanups, since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed in 2021.
July 02, 2024
Alaska Village Hits Army Corps With Gold Mine Permit Suit

The Native Village of Dot Lake is asking an Alaska federal judge to throw out a permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued for an open pit gold mine Kinross Gold Corp. and Peak Gold LLC are developing near the Yukon border.
July 02, 2024
Interior Dept. OKs Atlantic Shores South Wind Project

The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday said it's approving the Atlantic Shores South offshore wind project, the ninth such commercial-scale project given a green light by the Biden administration.
July 02, 2024
High Court Vacates Tribes' Legislative Privilege Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday vacated and remanded two North Dakota tribes' challenge to a lower court's ruling that held the state's lawmakers are immune from civil discovery in a voting rights lawsuit, with instructions to the Eighth Circuit to dismiss the case as moot.
July 01, 2024
Red States Get Biden Admin's LNG Export Pause Halted

A Louisiana federal judge Monday stayed the Biden administration's pause on reviewing applications to export liquified natural gas to countries without free trade agreements, slamming the U.S. Department of Energy's decision as appearing to be "completely without reason or logic and is perhaps the epiphany of ideocracy."
July 01, 2024
Washington State, Tribes Can Wade Into Water Regs Dispute

A D.C. federal judge said Washington state and five Native American tribes can intervene in a business group's lawsuit trying to overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reestablish water quality standards for the Evergreen State that it had rolled back during the Trump administration.
July 01, 2024
RNC, Arizona Lawmakers Can't Pause Voting Rights Order

The Republican National Committee and two top Arizona lawmakers can't pause a decision that bars provisions of voting legislation from being enforced pending an appeal to the Ninth Circuit, an Arizona federal judge said Friday, while also determining that the state's Republican Party can't weigh in on the dispute.
July 01, 2024
Enbridge Tells Michigan Judge To Speed Up Pipeline Ruling

Enbridge Energy has told a Michigan federal judge to get moving on critical motions that have been pending for years in one of the legal contests over Michigan's efforts to shut down a crude oil and natural gas pipeline that traverses the Great Lakes State.
June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
June 28, 2024
Will 'Moral Victory' In Purdue Ruling Help Plaintiffs?

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that the Sackler family members who own Purdue Pharma LP cannot be shielded by the bankruptcy code from lawsuits over the opioid crisis reflects the widespread public outrage over their role in the epidemic, but experts say it remains unclear what will happen next for the individuals and governments that have sued the company.
June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
June 28, 2024
FCC Subsidy Opponents File New 5th Circ. Challenge

A free-market group and others seeking to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's telecom subsidy system has again filed suit in the Fifth Circuit to oppose the industry fees that fund the programs.

Expert Analysis

What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Still Murky After A Choppy 2023

This year brought several important Clean Water Act jurisdictional developments, including multiple agency rules and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that substantially altered the definition of "waters of the United States," but a new wave of litigation challenges has already begun, with no clear end in sight, say attorneys at Nossaman.
A Former Bankruptcy Judge Talks 2023 High Court Rulings

In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four bankruptcy law opinions — an extraordinary number — and a close look at these cases signals that changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code will have to come from Congress, not the courts, says Phillip Shefferly at the University of Michigan Law School.
Series

Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.
How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
Series

The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
Series

Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
How Purdue High Court Case Will Shape Ch. 11 Mass Injury

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent arguments in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, addressing the authority of bankruptcy courts to approve nonconsensual third-party releases in Chapter 11 settlement plans, highlight the case's wide-ranging implications for how mass injury cases get resolved in bankruptcy proceedings, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.