Assistant General Counsel

Location: White Earth | Status: Full Time | Pay: $49.18 per hour or DOQ | Benefits: Full

About the role

This position is responsible for providing comprehensive legal advice and counsel, representation, document drafting, document review, and strategic collaboration with a wide range of White Earth governmental departments and enterprises. The role is instrumental in safeguarding tribal sovereignty, navigating complex legal landscapes, and actively supporting the Tribe’s self-determination and economic development initiatives. The position emphasizes transactional law and litigation, providing vital legal representation to the White Earth Nation and its programs, departments, enterprises, and agencies.

Responsibilities

• Legal Advisor and Strategic Counsel: Provide comprehensive legal advice and counsel to the Tribal Council, Executive Director, and various Tribal Divisions, Departments, and Programs on all legal matters affecting the White Earth Nation, including the implications of draft, proposed, and existing tribal regulations, statutes, policies, and practices.
• Economic Development and Transactional Law: Actively facilitate economic development efforts by serving as legal counsel to White Earth Nation divisions, programs, entities, and businesses with respect to complex transactions, including gaming, energy, telecommunications, construction, and Indian Country Taxation.
• Litigation and Prosecution: Represent and prosecute on behalf of the Tribe in litigation across federal, state, and tribal courts, as well as before various quasi-judicial or administrative agencies. This includes receiving and analyzing evidence to decide on prosecution of White Earth Tribal Code violations, and preparing legal briefs, strategic arguments, and testimony for court matters such as housing, employment, appeals, juvenile, child protection, environmental, conservation, and traffic cases.
• Governance, Policy, and Compliance: Develop, review, and update internal policies, procedures, and tribal ordinances in collaboration with the Tribal Council and various departments, ensuring adherence to tribal laws and promoting legal, compliance, and risk management best practices throughout the tribal government and its enterprises.
• Specialized Tribal Law & Cultural Preservation: Handle specialized legal areas critical to tribal sovereignty and cultural preservation, including:
  • Representing the Tribe in cases under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
  • Assisting agencies and reviewing related policies.
• External Coordination: Coordinate effectively with external legal partners and outside counsel, and assist with the retention and supervision for complex or specialized cases, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality legal services and effective representation.
• General Duties: Perform other duties and responsibilities as required or assigned by the General Counsel and/or the Deputy General Counsel.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor or equivalent law degree from an ABA-accredited law school with prior study and/or practice in the field of Indian law, realty, treaties, and Federal regulations.
• Must not have been disbarred by any jurisdiction.
• Must be licensed to practice within the State of Minnesota by the MN state bar or have the ability to obtain licensure within 12 months of employment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of active legal practice with litigation experience, or other legal experience involving Indian Law or related areas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Valid MN driver’s license and insurance for travel between sites and other business-related destinations.
• Experience in developing tribal policies and ordinances, reviewing commercial contracts, and handling employment law matters.
• Licensed in multiple jurisdictions, including tribal, state, and federal bars.

Skills

• Legal and Business Acumen: Knowledge of and ability to follow and apply the policies and procedures of the White Earth Tribal government.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to effectively explain complex legal matters to diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, including the ability to use logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses, apply general rules to specific problems, combine information to form conclusions, and develop creative solutions to legal problems while assessing risk.
• Drafting and Documentation: Excellent legal drafting skills for a wide range of documentation, including contracts, agreements, policies, ordinances, resolutions, legal memorandums, and litigation documents.
• Leadership and Management: Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including the ability to effectively manage outside counsel and influence decision-making processes within the tribal government.
• Organization and Autonomy: Effective time management and organizational skills, with the capacity to work effectively under pressure, meet strict deadlines, and manage multiple tasks and projects. Ability to work independently within established policies, procedures, and schedules, exercising sound judgment.
• Professional Conduct: Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise impeccable discretion, particularly regarding sensitive personnel or organizational matters, and respecting the Tribe’s inherent right to control its information and data.