Co-sponsored by LegalCORPS and
the MSBA Corporate Counsel Section
Deadline to Register: December 12,
2016
In this CLE, we will
briefly cover the history of legal interaction between the federal government and
Indian tribes, and while doing so, posit consideration on best practice within
the contemporary realm of tribal business law. Throughout American
history, officials within the federal judiciary and Congress have interpreted
and formulated law to both harm Indian tribes, and in some
instances, promote their interests.
Our aim is to instigate critical discussion on
how Federal Indian law took shape in the
context of a colonial relationship, one whose legacy has had tangible effects on Indian
tribes’ legal structures and behaviors today. We believe it is essential for transactional/business
law attorneys to develop and retain some familiarity with this history in
order to foster a deeper and more sensitive understanding of how exactly to serve tribal clients well.
Speakers:
Forrest Tahdooahnippah is an associate at
Dorsey & Whitney LLP, where he is a member of the Intellectual Property
Litigation and Indian Law practice groups. He is an enrolled member of the
federally-recognized Indian tribe the Comanche Nation, located in Lawton,
Oklahoma. He received his J.D. magna cum
laude from the University of Minnesota
Law School in 2010 and received a B.A. with honors from
Stanford University in 2007.
Heidi Drobnick is the managing partner of Swanson, Drobnick
& Tousey and practices in the areas of Indian law, business law, probate,
and wills and trusts. Heidi is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe-Lake Superior Band - Nett Lake Reservation. She received her J.D. from the
University of Minnesota. For six years, Heidi served as an adjunct professor at
the University of Minnesota Law School for the Indian Child Welfare Law Clinic.
She also served as the Presiding Judge for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and
Assistant General Counsel for the Prairie Island Indian Community-Treasure
Island Resort and Casino. Heidi is a member of the Minnesota American Indian Bar
Association and served as its treasurer for six years.
Moderators:
Steven Reeves is
a Partner at Faegre Baker Daniels and is a member of its corporate and
international practices, where he specializes in strategic domestic and
cross-border M&A transactions. Before attending law school at the
University of Minnesota (cum laude JD 2004), and after graduating from Cornell
University's School of Hotel Management (honors, BS 1997), he spent almost four
years working at Le Cirque restaurant in New York City. Steven serves on the
Board of Governors of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
(NAPABA) and is currently its Treasurer (http://www.napaba.org/ ). Steven is also
a member of the Board of Directors for LegalCORPS and has been volunteering with
LegalCORPS since 2005.
Jeanine Hill
is a general practice litigation and transactions attorney at Meyer & Njus,
P.A. in Minneapolis. She is a past pro bono volunteer and past member of the
LegalCORPS Board of Directors. She also served as Co-Chair of the Entrepreneurs
of Color Committee and served on the Fundraising Committee of LegalCORPS.
Jeanine is an enrolled member of the federally recognized Indian tribe the
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians located in Belcourt, North Dakota.
Jeanine serves on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota American Indian Bar
Association (MAIBA) and is currently its Vice President (http://www.maiba.org/). She graduated from the
University of St. Thomas School of Law in 2006. Jeanine practices in federal,
state and tribal courts. She currently serves as a Judge for the Sokaogon
Chippewa Community located in Wisconsin.
CLE Credits:
1.0 Elimination of Bias and 1.0 Standard CLE
credits approved | Event Code: 228644