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Attorney
By
Attorney
Career Profiles of the Profession
Who?
What?
Primary Practice Area & Subspecialty Fields:
Indian Law; Commercial Litigation; Employment Law.
When?
Years in Practice Area:
Since 2000
Years in the Legal Profession:
Since 2000
Where?
Employer:
Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC
www.wkg.com
Size/Sector:
Medium
City/State:
Seattle, WA
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Law School:
University of Arizona College of Law
Undergraduate School/Degree:
Western Washington University/English Literature
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Why?
Pluses/Challenges of Practice Area:
Working to ensure legal protection for Native Americans.
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Your Practice Area:
Knowledge of tribal, state and federal substantive and procedural
law; sound legal writing and analysis; interpersonal communication.
Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Your Practice
Area:
Intern for an Indian tribe and get involved in your local Indian
community with cultural, political or legal events and issues.
How?
Career Path to Current Position:
Study Indian law; Internships for Indian tribes, or state or federal
governmental agencies involved with Indian tribes; Networking
through the Native American Law Students Association, your local
Native American bar association, the National Native American
Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section.
Influences and Mentors:
Randy J Aliment, Esq., of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC;
Robert A. Williams, Jr., Professor, University of Arizona College
of Law; Laura Laffrado, Professor, Western Washington University.
Suggested Reading About Your Practice Area:
Getches, David H., et al., Federal Indian Law (4th ed.
1998); William R. Canby, Jr., American Indian Law In a Nutshell
(3rd ed. 1998).
Job Search Techniques Used in Finding Your Position(s):
Internships for Indian tribes, or state or federal governmental
agencies involved with Indian tribes; Involvement with the Native
American Law Students Association; Attendance at the annual conference
of the Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section in Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
Bar Affiliations and Activities:
Tribal Affiliation: Nomlaki/Concow, Round Valley
Northwest Indian Bar Association
-Treasurer
-President (2002-2003; 2003-2004)
-Vice-President (2001-2002)
Washington State Bar Association
-Indian Law Section (Chair-elect, 2003; Chair, 2004)
-Editor, Indian Law Newsletter
Federal Bar Association
-Indian Law Section
-Co-Chair, 31st Annual Indian Law Conference (2006)
National Native American Bar Association
American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
-Ambassadors Program
-Task Force on Leadership Development
-Gaming Law Committee
-Tribal Court Litigation Subcommittee to Business & Corporate Litigation Committee
Recent Professional Publications:
“Getting Commercial In Indian Country,” Business Credit, June 2006.
“Bar None! The Social Impact of Testing Federal Indian Law on State Bar Exams,” The Federal Lawyer, March/April 2006.
“Shielding the Tribal Treasury from Attack: Eliciting Civil Legal Protection Under the Federal Tort Claims Act,” Indian Law Newsletter, Winter 2005-06.
“Insuring Indian Country: The Intersection of Tort, Insurance & Federal Indian Law,” ABA TIPS’s The Brief, Winter 2005-06.
“Indian Law and the State Bar Exam,” The Arrow, Fall 2005.
Co-author, “Attracting Private Investment to Indian Country,” Indian Country Today, May 11, 2005.
Co-author, “Leveraging Tribal Sovereign Economic Advantages to Attract Private Investment in Indian Country,” Indian Law Newsletter, April 2005.
Feature Article, “What’s Indian Law Got To Do With It?,” ABA Section of Business Law Network, Spring 2005.
“Tribal Court Litigation Subcommittee,” ABA Section of Business Law Network, Spring 2005.
“Indian Law: A Bit More Mainstream in Washington,” Washington State Bar News, February 2005.
“Indian Country: Franchising’s Latest Frontier,” Law Journal Newsletter, February 2005.
Recent Professional Presentations:
“Annual Review of Developments in the Tribal Court Litigation”, ABA Section of Business Law Annual Meeting, Tampa Bay, FL, April 8, 2006.
“Federal Morality Enforcement through Payment Systems Regulation”, ABA Section of Business Law Annual Meeting, Tampa Bay, FL, April 8, 2006.
“Introduction to Indian Law,” WDTL Practice Development Committee CLE, Seattle, WA, March 15, 2006.
“Choosing an Insurer for the Tribe and Its Enterprises,” IMN’s 4th Semiannual Native American Finance Conference, Las Vegas, NV, March 14, 2006.
“Minority Bar Work: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly,” WSBA 2006 Leadership Institute, Seattle, WA, February 24, 2006.
Program Co-Chair and Co-Presenter, “Gaming Litigation: Defending Tribes and Tribal Casinos,” 3rd Annual Northwest Gaming Law Summit, Seattle, Washington, December 1 and 2, 2005.
Keynote Speaker at Northwest Minority Law Student Job Fair, Seattle, Washington. October, 1, 2005
Co-Presenter, “Negotiating Favorable Business Terms & Conditions,” Wells Fargo Tribal Economic Diversification Program, Seattle, Washington, September 28, 2005.
“Getting Commercial in Indian Country: High-Stakes Tribal Contractual & Litigation Considerations,” and “Emergent Regulatory & Policy Issues Surrounding the $18.5 Billion Indian Gaming Industry,” The ABA Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, August 6, 2005.
Panelist, “Cutting-Edge Tribal Financing Issues,” Northwest Indian Gaming Conference & Expo, Tacoma, Washington, July 25-27, 2005.
“Doing Business in Indian Country: A Federal Legal Update,” Emerging Northwest Tribal Economies Seminar, Seattle, Washington, July 15, 2005.
“Getting Commercial In Indian Country: Contractual and Litigation Considerations,” ABA National Conference for the Minority Lawyer, Seattle, Washington, June 23-24, 2005.
Co-Presenter, “Access to Justice Technology Bill of Rights: A Living Example of Inclusion, Diversity and Multi-Cultural Competence,” Access to Justice Conference, Bellevue, Washington, June 4, 2005.
“Conversations with the Judges,” WSBA Leadership Institute, Seattle, Washington, May 21, 2005.
“The Intersection of General Tort and Insurance Principles and Federal Indian Law,” Legal Issues Affecting Tribes in Indian Country, Portland, Oregon, May 10, 2005.
"Financing in Indian Country: Truths, Myths & Contractual Considerations," KeyBank’s Native American Lending Workshop, Cleveland, Ohio, April 20, 2005.
"Indian Law in Washington: What You Need to Know," Washington Young Lawyers Division Equality in Practice Forum: Celebrating Diversity, Seattle, Washington, April 7, 2005.
Memorable Career Moment:
Delivering the commencement address at my alma mater,
Peninsula Community College in Port Angeles, Washington in June 2001.
Intriguing Interests:
Leadership activities involving Indian people.
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