Law360 Publishes Akin Gump Examination of Tribal Nations’ 2020 Legal Priorities

Law360 has published the article “A Wide Range Of Legal Priorities For Tribes In 2020,” written by Akin Gump partners Donald Pongrace, Allison Binney and Jason Hauter and senior policy advisor Denise Desiderio, all members of the firm’s American Indian law and policy practice. The article discusses some of the biggest issues facing tribal nations this year, from Congress to the executive branch to the court system.

The authors note that the focus in Congress this year will be on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. The appropriations process for fiscal year 2021 will also kick off.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, will begin implementation on “initiatives aimed at combating the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons.” The Treasury Department’s Tribal Advisory Committee will also continue to focus on tax policy for Indian Country.

Finally, the article observes, the Supreme Court has been asked to hear three Native American law cases, with cert petitions still pending in each of them.

All of this, the authors write, will take place amid a presidential election campaign that will have “a significant impact on the work of both Congress and the administration.”

To read the full article and learn more about other issues of importance in 2020, please click here.