Lenny Powell is a Staff Attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. He was previously a member of the Appellate and Supreme Court practice at Jenner & Block. Lenny advocates for tribal interests before federal and state courts throughout the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also an adjunct professor at NYU School of Law, where he teaches Supreme Court Advocacy and Federal Indian Law.
At the Supreme Court, Lenny has helped win six cases on the merits. His Supreme Court victories include Haaland v. Brackeen and McGirt v. Oklahoma.
Lenny is a member of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians and was a tribal council member before law school. Lenny received his J.D. from Harvard. After law school, he clerked for Judge Eid of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and Judge Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Presenting in the following sessions:
Nov 13, 2025
3:15-4:30 PM
Session 4
1.25 MCLE
Jurisdictional Disputes and Family Law
Lenny Powell, Kendra Martinez, LaTonia Johnson, and April Olson will address the complex topic of tribal court jurisdiction over custody disputes, divorces, and child dependency cases. They will examine relevant ongoing cases, such as Tix v. Tix, discuss when to seek outside counsel from those who have experience in both family law and tribal jurisdiction, and more.
