Listed on this page are some resources for investigating possible clerking, summer associate positions, and even jobs upon graduation. We have also included some reading that may be helpful for learning about this area of the law.
This section includes names of private law firms that practice in the area of Indian law, and links to their webpages. A search of the internet for Indian Law attorneys may reveal other firms and attorneys as well. Students interested in stepping into global Big Law may want to check out these and other firms as a potential career path. Some of these firms have a practice group or division that works on Indian law matters, and some firms are devoted solely to this area of the law.
Also included in this list are government and non-government entities that have lawyers who practice in the area of Indian Law, and links to their pages.
This is not an endorsement of any firm, organization, agency, its attorneys, or its practice. You will need to do your own research about what is the best fit for you.
The Gaye L. Tenoso Indian Country Fellowship, US Department of Justice, a part of the Attorney General's Honors Program, is designed to create a new pipeline of legal talent with expertise and deep experience in federal Indian law, tribal law, and Indian country issues that can be deployed in creative ways to build tribal capacity, combat violent crime, and bolster public safety in Indian country jurisdictions.
A Lawyer in Indian Country by
In his memoir, Alvin Ziontz reflects on his more than thirty years representing Indian tribes, from a time when Indian law was little known through landmark battles that upheld tribal sovereignty. He discusses the growth and maturation of tribal government and the underlying tensions between Indian society and the non-Indian world. A Lawyer in Indian Country presents vignettes of reservation life and recounts some of the memorable legal cases that illustrate the challenges faced by individual Indians and tribes. As the senior attorney arguing U.S. v. Washington, Ziontz was a party to the historic 1974 Boldt decision that affirmed the Pacific Northwest tribes' treaty fishing rights, with ramifications for tribal rights nationwide. His work took him to reservations in Montana, Wyoming, and Minnesota, as well as Washington and Alaska, and he describes not only the work of a tribal attorney but also his personal entry into the life of Indian country. Ziontz continued to fight for tribal rights into the late 1990s, as the Makah tribe of Washington sought to resume its traditional whale hunts. Throughout his book, Ziontz traces his own path through this public history - one man's pursuit of a life built around the principles of integrity and justice.
Labor and Employment Law in Indian Country by
Eleven years after the first edition of this book, labor and employment law in Indian country remains a critical battle ground for tribal sovereignty. We have fully updated this book with a decade’s worth of new developments.
Labor and Employment Law in Indian Country, 2022 Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the law governing labor and employment relations in Indian country. This is a growing, controversial, and complex area of law, implicating fundamental principles of tribal sovereignty at every turn. It is a must read for anyone involved in Indian affairs today.
The author, Drummond Woodsum attorney, Kaighn Smith, Jr., represents Indian tribes in tribal, state, and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He and his colleagues at Drummond Woodsum’s Tribal Nations Labor and Employment Group have assisted tribes in enacting, implementing, and defending some of the first comprehensive labor and employment laws in Indian country.
The Rediscovery of America by