California Indian Law Association
Board of Directors
Dan Rey-Bear (President) is a board-certified specialist in Federal Indian Law and a partner for Nordhaus Law Firm, LLP, one of the oldest and largest law firms in the United States that is dedicated primarily to the representation of American Indian tribes and organizations. Dan specializes in litigation and transactional work concerning tribal sovereign immunity and jurisdiction, breaches of federal trust duties, fee and trust-land acquisitions, environmental permitting, and tax disputes, as well as intergovernmental issues and client support for projects involving economic development, environmental protection, assessments, and remediation. Before joining the Nordhaus Law Firm, Dan served as a staff attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. More information on Dan and the Nordhaus Law Firm is available at www.nordhauslaw.com.
Joanne Willis Newton (Vice-President) operates her own law practice, Law Offices of Joanne Willis Newton, APC, in San Diego, California. She specializes in Federal Indian law, with over thirteen years of experience serving the unique legal needs of Native American governments, organizations and individuals. She is also a panel attorney for Appellate Defenders, Inc., and represents indigent parents in juvenile dependency appeals before the California Court of Appeals, Fourth District. Before going out on her own in 2005, she was employed for seven years with California Indian Legal Services. Prior to that she worked for several years in Canada as a consultant on matters of Aboriginal law to a number of First Nations’ entities and federal agencies, such as the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Department of Justice. Ms. Willis Newton has an LL.M from the University of San Diego (1998) and an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa School of Law (1992). She is admitted to the following jurisdictions: California (1999), Quebec (1998) and Ontario (1995). Ms. Willis Newton and her two children are members of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi, located in northern Quebec. Ms. Newton also serves as Chair of the Newsletter Committee. For more information see www.willisnewtonlaw.com.
Angela Medrano (Treasurer) is a member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians. She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego and B.A. degree in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Southern California. Ms. Medrano spent two years working for her tribe as the Lead Gaming Commissioner of the Cahuilla Tribal Gaming Agency. Where she managed the small regulatory agency and gained first hand experience in all facets of gaming regulation. Ms. Medrano is currently a staff attorney at California Indian Legal Services, a non-profit legal service program serving Indians and Indian tribes in California. Ms. Medrano is new to the CILA Board of Directors this year. She also serves as Chair of the State Bar Committee.
Adele Traversie Bagley (Secretary) is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) where she served as Co-Chair of the Native American Law Students Association, 2L Class representative of the Boalt Hall Student Association, and focused her legal education on Federal Indian Law. During the 2007-2008 school year, she clerked at Alexander, Berkey, Williams and Weathers in Berkeley. In the summer of 2007, she was a summer associate at the Los Angeles office of Holland & Knight. Adele spent her first summer in law school at Legal Services for Children of San Francisco. Adele received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science, with honors, from the University of Miami in Florida.
Meredith Drent is a member of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma and a descendant of the native Chamorro people of Guam. She is a graduate of Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and an alumna of its nationally recognized Indian Legal Program. After years of practice with several California-based private law firms specializing exclusively in Indian law, Ms. Drent now serves as Staff Attorney with the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians in Highland, California, and as Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of the Osage Nation. Ms. Drent’s practice focuses on all issues related to tribal governance including child welfare, education, health, housing, tribal court development, public safety, personnel matters, policies and procedures, legislation, and intergovernmental relations. Ms. Drent serves as the Chair of the Scholarship Committee.
Michele Fahley serves as Deputy General Counsel for the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians. She has a joint degree in law and American Indian Studies from UCLA. Before joining Pechanga’s Office of General Counsel, Michele served as a staff attorney in the Escondido office of California Indian Legal Services for over 5 years. At CILA, her work focused on tribal representation in ICWA cases, estate planning and training under the American Indian Probate Reform Act , cultural resource protection, tribal court development, and gaming and economic development. As Deputy General Counsel, Ms. Fahley provides general representation to the tribal government in all matters. Ms. Fahley serves as Chair of the Conference Planning Committee. (J.D. 2003; M.A. 2004); University of Washington, Seattle (B.A. 1998).
Bryan H. Wildenthal is Professor of Law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) in San Diego. He received his A.B. and J.D. degrees from Stanford University, clerked for Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. (U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit) and Chief Justice Michael F. Cavanagh (Michigan Supreme Court), was an associate with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) in Washington, D.C., and previously taught at Chicago-Kent College of Law. At TJSL since 1996, he has regularly taught the course on American Indian Law (along with Constitutional Law, Federal Courts and Jurisdiction, and other ubjects), and is faculty advisor to the TJSL chapter of NALSA (Native American Law Students Association). Among his publications are a college textbook, "Native American Sovereignty on Trial" (2003), and several articles on Indian Law, including two relating to labor law in Indian country, the famous San Manuel litigation, and the so-called "Tuscarora-Coeur d'Alene doctrine." Most of his scholarly publications are accessible at http://ssrn.com/author=181791 and he may be reached at bryanw@gmail.com.
David Clifford is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and a 2002 graduate of Loyola Law School where he focused his studies on civil rights. Mr. Clifford was a member of the Saint Thomas More Honor Society as well as a member of the Native American Students Association. As a practicing attorney in California, Mr. Clifford represented Bing Crosby's beneficiaries in on going litigation against various record companies. He has worked on a variety of issues including real estate litigation, intellectual property litigation and receiverships. Since joining Karshmer & Associates, a law firm which primarily represents Indian tribes and tribal organizations, Mr. Clifford has worked on a variety of tribal issues, including probate law, economic development, transactional work, development of tribal laws and tribal courts, Indian Child Welfare Act cases, cultural sites and artifacts, and torts. Mr. Clifford is serving as the Chair of the Public Relations Committee. More information about Mr. Clifford is available at www.karshmerindianlaw.com
Rovianne Leigh is Oklahoma Cherokee and is a graduate of the U.C. Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she served as Co-Chair of the Native American Law Students Association and the Boalt Hall Students Association. Ms. Leigh is currently an Associate at Alexander, Berkey, Williams & Weathers LLP, a law firm that works exclusively for Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Ms. Leigh serves tribal clients in areas such as environmental and cultural resources protection, health, employment, Indian child welfare, litigation, tribal court development and tribal law. Ms. Leigh has appeared in federal, state, and tribal courts on a number of issues affecting Tribal rights and sovereignty, and specializes in Indian child welfare issues. Ms. Leigh serves as the Chair of the CILA Outreach Committee. More information on Ms. Leigh is available at www.abwwlaw.com, and she can be reached at rleigh@abwwlaw.com.