Practical Approaches to Strengthening Sovereignty through Intergovernmental Agreements and Expanded Tribal Court Reach

Tribal governments navigate a complex jurisdictional crossroads where municipal boundaries, non-tribal interests, and competing regulatory authority intersect with tribal lands and sovereignty. This session brings together two attorneys with front-line tribal law experience to provide tribal in-house counsel with a practice-oriented framework for managing the tribal-local government relationship.

Rahsaan J. Tilford, Deputy General Counsel of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, will address intergovernmental agreements (IGA) — covering constitutional and statutory sources of tribal authority, key jurisdictional doctrines, and critical drafting considerations, including sovereign immunity, choice of law, and dispute resolution. He will also examine the Department of the Interior's 2024 regulations restricting mandatory IGA requirements in gaming compacts and draw on Agua Caliente's real-world IGA experience.

Rachel Saimons, Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend, shifts the lens to tribal court jurisdiction, offering practical strategies to establish and defend tribal court as the exclusive forum for claims arising in Indian country.

Together, the presenters will equip attendees with actionable tools to negotiate robust intergovernmental agreements, reinforce tribal legal frameworks, and proactively defend sovereignty — empowering tribes to meet today’s jurisdictional challenges with confidence.