Annual TICA Conference
Santa Barbara, CA
2024 Agenda
All times listed in PT
Pre-Conference | October 16, 2024
1:00 PM-4:30 PM
Pre-Conference CLE: A Review of the Standards for Attorneys Representing Tribal Governments in State ICWA Proceedings
1-3:45 | Attorney Performance Standards
3:45-4:30 | Future of ICWA Brainstorm
This workshop will provide an overview of the new Model Performance Standards for Attorneys who Represent Tribal Governments in State ICWA Proceedings. These standards were drafted by a workgroup that included tribal, state, parent, and children's attorneys as well as state and tribal child welfare professionals to provide to attorneys representing tribes in State child custody proceedings guidance on best practices in and out of the courtroom. This pre-session will walk participants through the standards, while also engaging them with the material through in activities, small group discussions, and individual reflections. The session will conclude with an opportunity to discuss and brainstorm for the future of ICWA and the role of tribal attorneys post-Brackeen.
Co-hosted by the Tribal In-House Counsel Association and the California Tribal Families Coalition
Moderator
Cassondra Church | Justice Associate | The Whitener Group |
Speakers
Addie Smith | Consultant | The Whitener Group | |
Kimberly Cluff | Legal Director | California Tribal Families Coalition |
6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Join us on the rooftop bar at the Hilton Garden Inn for catered food and beverages! All conference attendees are welcome.
6878 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117
Moderator
Speakers
Day 1 | October 17, 2024
Oct 17, 2024
8:15 AM-8:45 AM
Registration & Morning Caffeine
Moderator
Speakers
Oct 17, 2024
8:45 AM-9:00 AM
Welcome
Moderator
Speakers
Oct 17, 2024
9:00 AM-9:45 AM
KEYNOTE
CLE Credits Pending
In Our Times: An In-House Perspective on Tribal Advocacy
Join keynote speaker Stephen Greetham for a personal reflection on 25 years of experience as a tribal in-house counsel. He’ll focus on the unique tensions between national advocacy and place-based work of sovereignty advancement emerging in post-McGirt Oklahoma Indian Country.
Moderator
Speakers
Stephen Greetham | Principal | Greetham Law, P.L.L.C |
Oct 17, 2024
9:45 AM-10:00 AM
BREAK
Break
Moderator
Speakers
Oct 17, 2024
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
PANEL 1
CLE Credits Pending
The ISDA at 50 and Continued Fight for Tribal Resources: Contract Support Costs and the 105(l) Lease Program
Unpack the complexities of the Indian Self-Determination Act (ISDA) implementation as panelists explore how this decades-long fight for resources has played out in litigation over secretarial amount funding, the 105(I) lease program, and contract support costs. This panel will offer considerations for in-house counsel advising their tribes on whether to contract and how to take advantage of recent funding opportunities if already contracting.
Moderator
Speakers
Jason Freihage | Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management | Department of the Interior/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs | |
Jody Cummings | General Counsel | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | |
Katie Brossy | Senior Counsel | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP | |
Rebecca (Becca) Patterson | Partner | Sonosky Law Firm |
Oct 17, 2024
12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Lunch
Moderator
Speakers
Oct 17, 2024
1:00 PM-2:00 PM
PANEL 2A
CLE Credits Pending
Part 1: Leveraging Federal Programs and Philanthropic Efforts to Develop Tribal Clean Energy Technologies
Federal and philanthropic programs offer low- to no-cost opportunities for tribes to develop clean energy projects in their communities, but they can often be difficult to access. Join Suedeen Kelly, partner at Jenner & Block LLP, and Kimberly Dutcher, government relations adviser for Native American Affairs at Direct Relief, to learn about the role of tribal counsel in supporting the development of clean energy projects and Direct Relief’s involvement in the Power for Health Initiative, a grant program that supplies tribal health centers with solar panels and backup batteries to ensure power during large-scale outages.
Moderator
Krystalyn Kinsel | Special Counsel | Jenner & Block LLP |
Speakers
Kimberly A. Dutcher | Government Relations Advisor, Native American Affairs | Direct Relief | |
Suedeen Kelly | Partner | Jenner & Block |
Oct 17, 2024
2:00 PM-2:15 PM
BREAK
Break
Moderator
Speakers
Oct 17, 2024
2:15PM-3:45 PM
PANEL 2B
CLE Credits Pending
Part 2: Leasing and Right-of-Way Needs for Tribal Energy Development
Join us for part two of our panel on tribal energy development! Moderator Krystalyn Kinsel will guide panelists through an exploration of ways tribes can unlock the full economic potential of their land under current statutes and regulations, and make effective use of federal funding for energy development. They’ll also discuss opportunities for tribal energy advocacy in Congress, including pending legislation such as S. 1322, the Unlocking Native Lands and Opportunities for Commerce and Key Economic Developments Act of 2023 (UNLOCKED).
Moderator
Krystalyn Kinsel | Special Counsel | Jenner & Block LLP |
Speakers
Breann Nu'uhiwa | Principal | Kūpono Policy Solutions LLC | |
Lindsey Dollman | Senior Associate General Counsel | Pechanga Band of Indians | |
Pilar M. Thomas | Partner | Quarles & Brady LLP |
Oct 17, 2024
3:45 PM-4:00 PM
BREAK
Break
Moderator
Speakers
Oct 17, 2024
4:00 PM-5:30 PM
PANEL 3
CLE Credits Pending
Tips from the Trenches for Tribal Sovereign Immunity Waivers
Join us as we close day one of the formal conference with a discussion of requirements, restrictions, and lessons for negotiating and defending limited waivers of tribal sovereign immunity in various contexts.
Moderator
Peter Ortego | General Counsel | Ute Mountain Ute Tribe |
Speakers
Dan Rey-Bear | Partner | Rey-Bear McLaughlin, LLP | |
Denise Turner Walsh | Attorney General | Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians | |
Sam Cohen | Government Affairs and Legal Officer | Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians |
Oct 17, 2024
5:30 PM-8:00 PM
RECEPTION
Reception
Moderator
Speakers
Day 2 | October 18, 2024
01.
01.
01.
8:15 AM-8:30 AM
Oct 18, 2024
Morning Caffeine
Moderator
Speakers
01.
01.
01.
8:30 AM-10:00 AM
Oct 18, 2024
PANEL 4
CLE Credits Pending
SCOTUS, the Seminole Compact, and Sports Wagering: What Was (and Was Not) Said and Why the Denial of Cert Matters in West Flagler Associates, Ltd. v. Haaland
Join three distinguished panelists for a discussion on the outcomes and greater implications of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal’s upholding of the Seminole Tribe’s gaming compact with the State of Florida and its potential use as a model for tribal online gaming across the country. They’ll also explore existing and emerging issues surrounding the legalization of sports wagering and online gaming in general.
Moderator
Tim Evans | Deputy General Counsel | San Manuel Band of Mission Indians |
Speakers
Michael Hoenig | Vice President, Associate General Counsel – Gaming | San Manuel Band of Mission Indians | |
Scott Crowell | Owner | Crowell Law Office – Tribal Advocacy Group | |
Steve M. Bodmer | General Counsel | Pechanga Band of Indians |
01.
01.
01.
10:30 AM-10:45 AM
Oct 18, 2024
BREAK
Break
Moderator
Speakers
01.
01.
01.
10:45 AM-12:15 PM
Oct 18, 2024
PANEL 5
CLE Credits Pending
The Fight to Protect and Preserve Tribal Sacred Sites and Cultural Resources for Future Generations
The panel will discuss litigation and non-litigation efforts that tribes are undertaking to protect people and lands from resource development projects that threaten irreversible harm to places that hold spiritual, traditional, and cultural value to Indigenous communities. Join three panel members for presentations on protecting and preserving sacred sites in the face of resource extraction, hazardous military sites, and other infringements.
Moderator
Allison K. Athens | Associate Attorney | Rothstein Donatelli, LLP |
Speakers
Chase Velasquez | Senior Associate | Rothstein Donatelli, LLP | |
Lydia Locklear | Deputy Tribal Attorney | Catawba Nation | |
Sam Daughety | Counsel | Dentons US LLP |
01.
01.
01.
12:15 PM-1:15 PM
Oct 18, 2024
Lunch
Moderator
Speakers
01.
01.
01.
1:15 PM-2:15 PM
Oct 18, 2024
PANEL 6
Ethics CLE Credits Pending
Competency, Confidentiality, and Candor for Your AI-Powered Practice
Join Laura Lemire (Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa) and Lisa Loo for an examination of ethical considerations in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance your practice. With a focus on Competency, Confidentiality, and Candor, the presenters will share best practices, lessons learned, and resources that will boost your confidence when using these tools to better serve your clients and community.
Moderator
Harrison W. Rice | Assistant Attorney General | Tohono O’odham Nation |
Speakers
Laura Lemire | Privacy and Security Attorney | Schwabe | |
Lisa Loo | Senior Vice President and General Counsel | Arizona State University, Office of General Counsel |
01.
01.
01.
2:15 PM-2:30 PM
Oct 18, 2024
BREAK
Break
Moderator
Speakers
01.
01.
01.
2:30 PM-4:00 PM
Oct 18, 2024
PANEL 7
CLE Credits Pending
Indian Child Welfare Act Enforcement: A conversation about how and why Tribes might enforce rights under ICWA
Our closing panel will focus on the nuts and bolts of ICWA appeals in state courts while engaging audience members with a lighthearted game. The panelists will use the game to lead a conversation and cover the following topics: how to make a thorough trial record; factors to consider when deciding whether to appeal an ICWA case; danger zone topics; unique procedural appellate issues; and what solutions exist outside of appeals.
Moderator
Cassondra Church | Justice Associate | The Whitener Group |
Speakers
April Olson | Partner | Rothstein Donatelli, LLP | |
Kathryn (Kate) Fort | Director of Clinics | Michigan State University College of Law | |
Sunshine Manuel | Senior Counsel | Gila River Indian Community |