NATIVE LAW GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founding Partner of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP
- General Counsel and Special Counsel
- Member of the Navajo Nation
TRIBAL MEMBERSHIP
Enrolled member of the Navajo Nation (Kin ł ichii'nii - Red House People born for Bit'ahnii - Folded Arms People)
PRACTICE AREAS
Federal Indian Law; Tribal Government; Tribal Court and Federal Court Litigation; Administrative Law; Legislation and Code Drafting; Energy and Natural Resource Law; Environmental Law; Commercial and Business Law; Agricultural Law; Wills, Trusts, and Estates; and Housing and Taxation Law
Originally from Coyote Canyon (Brimhall), New Mexico, Alvina is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, born from the Kin ł ichii'nii - Red House People clan and born for the Bit'ahnii - Folded Arms People clan. Her maternal grandfather clan is Haltsooi - Meadow People and her paternal grandfather clan is Tsi'naajinii - Black Streak Wood People.
Alvina is a founding partner of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP with more than 15 years legal experience specializing in Federal Indian law. Alvina works primarily with tribal governments and tribally-owned business enterprises in administrative matters, tribal reorganization, tribal code revisions, human resources, social services, probate, enrollment, land and water rights, housing, taxation (federal, tribal and state), economic development, natural resource development, agriculture (farming and grazing), oil and gas development, litigation (federal, state and tribal), and federal environmental law compliance.
Alvina serves as general counsel and special counsel to various tribes and tribally-owned business enterprises. In this capacity, Alvina advises tribal leaders, department directors and staff as well as tribal committees, boards and commissions on a daily basis. Alvina oversees a team of associates within the firm and manages assignments and cases on behalf of clients.
Prior to establishing Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP, Alvina was a partner at a national law firm for 12 years, where she represented clients primarily on Federal Indian law matters. Before that, she worked at a Denver-based law firm on commercial development, property and environmental issues.
Job Titles:
- Southern Plains Regional Director, 59 IBIA 1 ( 2014 )
Donald is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a 20-year veteran of the United States Navy. Donald's heritage and service instilled in him a belief in the core values of honor, courage, and commitment that form the foundation for his work as an attorney.
Donald grew up listening to the stories of his maternal grandmother in Oklahoma, but was eventually placed in the foster care system. Creating his own opportunities, Donald dropped out of high school to enter the Job Corps in Oklahoma. He later earned a GED and joined the U.S. Navy. During his service, Donald was called on to lead large and diverse groups of sailors and earned multiple personal awards and recognitions, including the Navy Commendation Medal. Before retiring from the Navy in 2014, he also earned an Associate's Degree.
Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy, Donald attended the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Law in 2017. While still earning his Bachelor's Degree, he was accepted for early admission to law school and finishing his senior year and his first year of law school concurrently.
At the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Donald studied Indian Law with a desire to assist tribes in maintaining their sovereignty and promoting economic growth. Donald was an active member of the Native American Law Student Association and was part of the Tribal Justice Clinic, working on multiple projects including NAGPRA and tribal elections. Donald also served as defense counsel in the Regional Municipal Veterans Court in Tucson, as part of the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic.
Donald graduated from law school in 2019 earning a Juris Doctor degree as well as certificates in Business Litigation and Transactional Business Law. Donald is barred in the State of New Mexico, and the U.S. District Court of New Mexico.
Outside of his legal work for tribes, Donald enjoys creating handmade leather goods, woodworking, and watching a good movie with his spouse and their dogs.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Erin Shanley is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. She joined the firm in October 2021 as an income partner, working remotely from North Dakota as she establishes a Native Law Group office there.
Erin received her law degree from the University of Montana School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University. She has extensive experience working on federal Indian law matters, and recently served as in-house counsel for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Most of her prior work has been focused on tribal criminal justice issues. Erin served as a judge for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and other tribal courts. She also worked as a judicial systems administrator for the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission. She served as a child welfare prosecutor for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and as a domestic violence prosecutor and special assistant U.S. attorney in North and South Dakota for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She also developed a public defender's office for the Fort Peck Tribes. She volunteered with Montana Legal Services drafting wills for tribal members as well.
Erin is licensed to practice law in Montana, North Dakota, and numerous tribal courts. She also is an educator, having taught classes on criminal justice at United Tribes Technical College and Sitting Bull College. Erin currently lives in Fort Yates, North Dakota on the Standing Rock Reservation with her husband, Lawrence, and two children, Elias and Esmé.
Jane has over 40 years' experience in federal Indian Law and all aspects of environmental law, including significant work in water, hazardous waste, pesticides, toxic substances, and nuclear waste.
Prior to joining the Firm, she was the founder of a UK company to assist farmers in adapting to and mitigating effects of climate change.
For 23 years, Jane served as an executive level attorney for General Electric Company's (GE) Corporate Environmental Program, including as Manager and Counsel for GE's world-wide environmental remediation program. Her work included managing a large team and multi-million-dollar budget and serving as a Senior Advisor to top level executives.
Prior to GE, Jane served as an Assistant General Counsel in Region VIII of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 5 years. In this position she worked with multiple federal statutes, state laws, and significant issues involving Indian tribes. She served as the co-National Indian Law expert for EPA, working with EPA Headquarters and Regions. Her specialties at EPA were federal Indian Law, mining, and nuclear waste.
During law school, she clerked for the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder, CO and one of the first private law firms serving Indian Country.
Jane enjoys hiking in the beautiful Colorado foothills, running, cycling, and making quilts. She and her husband enjoy hiking and walking with their 2 wonderful, large dogs. She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren living in the Boulder area.
PRACTICE AREAS
Federal Indian Law; Water Rights and Development; Environmental Law; General Tribal Representation
PRACTICE AREAS
Litigation and Appeals; Indian Gaming; General Tribal Representation
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Jeremy Patterson is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (Minicoujou/Itazipco Lakota). Jeremy received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School and holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in American Indian and Indigenous Law from the University of Tulsa.
Jeremy focuses his practice exclusively on representing American Indian tribes and tribal organizations in a vast array of areas, including tribal government representation, economic development, and management of tribal water resources. He also works on development of tribal codes and ordinances, gaming matters, employment issues, construction contracting and management, tribal housing, protection of cultural and natural resources, finance and tax and land use transactions. Jeremy also assists tribal clients with energy development and related policy, permitting and regulatory compliance matters.
Jeremy has assisted tribal clients in several high-profile and complex commercial transactions, including the development of several successful tribal business ventures that have collectively generated over $1 billion in asset value for Indian Country. His work in this area has supported tribal efforts to preserve and promote tribal economic sovereignty, provide long-term employment opportunities for tribal members, and restore traditional tribal economies through tribe-to-tribe trade agreements.
Prior to establishing the majority Indian-owned law firm of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP in 2020, Jeremy worked for both the Native American Rights Fund and Native American Program of Oregon Legal Services, and he was a former research assistant to Professor William Rice. Most recently, he was a partner at a national firm that specialized in the practice of federal Indian law.
Jeremy is the past recipient of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) Native American 40 Under 40 Award. Best Lawyers named him one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in the practice area of Native American law, and he was recognized by Denver-based 5280 Magazine as a "Top Lawyer in Native American Law."
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP
Joanne is a partner at Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP. She has 20 years of legal experience and is in her tenth year with a particular focus on Indian reserved water rights, water resource development, and water compacts, including negotiations and settlement between tribal governments with state and federal governments and Congress, community education, and coordinating with tribal technical experts. She has extensive experience working closely with tribal governments to develop water policies, draft tribal water codes and water leasing agreements, address water theft and other misappropriation of water on reservations, enforce tribal jurisdictional issues related to water sources shared with state-based water users, and advocate for more favorable federal Indian water policies. She is co-counsel on two significant tribal water-related lawsuits seeking damages from the United States for its mismanagement of tribal reserved water rights and water-related resources, including Indian irrigation projects, and is involved in state general stream adjudications.
Joanne also has extensive experience as tribal general counsel and special counsel, including seventeen years as counsel for the school board of a tribally-controlled grant school. Her experience in education law at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels of governance, started as a special education teacher with a cooperative school program, teaching young children with disabilities that included working with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Head Start program. She has 20 years of legal experience working with school boards and administrators, developing board policies for employees and students, including the full scope of school governance areas, such as special education, contract negotiations, student expulsion hearings, student and employee disciplinary investigations, teacher certification issues, and developing tribal employee grievance hearing procedures and investigating sexual harassment complaints at a tribal college. Joanne has also served as a special education consultant to the Chicago Public Schools and the Chester-Upland, Pennsylvania, school district under the authority of a special master for the improvement of a school district found to discriminate against students with disabilities.
PRACTICE AREAS
Federal Indian Law; Indian Gaming; Civil Litigation; and Appellate Advocacy; Administrative Law; Legislation and Code Drafting; Tribe-State-Federal Relations; General Counsel Services
PRACTICE AREAS
Federal Tax Law; Internal Revenue and Treasury Regulations; Trusts and Estates; Business and Economic Development
Mitch has over five years of experience advocating for tribal clients. As a senior associate at Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP, Mitch's practice areas include federal Indian law, Indian water rights, transactional law, energy mineral development, tribal governance and nation building, policy and legislation drafting, civil litigation, and intellectual property. Mitch works hands on with tribal clients to promote and advocate for tribal sovereignty and economic development.
Mitch graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 2015. Prior to joining the firm, Mitch worked at a small private firm practicing family law and probate law, with a focus on clients residing in rural areas. Mitch also served as judicial fellow for the Honorable Judge Laura Tighe in Colorado's First Judicial District in 2015. Mitch was inspired to pursue a career in Indian law during his experience as a student attorney in the University of Colorado's American Indian Law Clinic, during which he had the privilege of working under the mentorship of practitioners with decades of experience advocating for tribal clients.
Mitch was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He currently lives in Golden, Colorado, and enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two miniature schnauzers amid the beauty of the Rocky Mountain foothills.
PRACTICE AREAS
Federal Indian Law; Water Law; Transactional Law; Energy Resource Development; Litigation; General Counsel Services and Tribal Nation Building; Intellectual Property Law
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founding Partner of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP
Rollie is a founding partner of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP with over 20 years of legal experience representing tribal interests as tribal in-house counsel, within the Federal government, and as a partner in a national Indian law practice. Rollie serves as a registered lobbyist and attorney for tribes and tribal enterprises in Washington, D.C.
As an advocate for tribes in D.C., Rollie obtained Congressional passage of bills that provide tribes with critical funding, promote Indian energy development, and authorized land exchanges to consolidate tribal lands. He also works closely with tribal leaders to provide testimony at Congressional hearings and to develop strategies for obtaining results in Congress and before federal agencies in D.C. In some cases, he has worked to prevent passage of bills that would attack tribal resources, lands, and waters. Rollie also has extensive experience working in D.C. with regional and national tribal organizations to promote tribal interests.
In addition to his work in D.C., Rollie provides general and special counsel services to tribal governments and tribal enterprises. He regularly advises tribal council members and tribal programs. He also works with a team of attorneys on significant ligation in support of tribal rights including the Bears Ears National Monument, the Dakota Access Pipeline and other cases. Rollie is also working with a team of attorneys on two major lawsuits seeking restoration of tribal lands, affirmation of water rights, and damages for mismanagement of lands and waters.
Rollie entered private practice after 10 years of service in the Federal government. He most recently served as Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. As Senior Counsel, he led efforts to draft legislation, hold hearings and prepare legislation for passage by Congress. Rollie managed the passage of five Indian water rights settlements providing about $1.1 billion in funding to tribes for water infrastructure projects. He also managed the passage of the $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement and drafted the Indian Energy Parity Act of 2010.
Prior to working for the Senate, Rollie served as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) first Tribal Liaison supporting tribal participation in hydroelectric licensing, gas pipeline certification, and electric market proceedings. He also served on a detail to the Department of Energy where he led efforts to study and submit a report to Congress regarding energy rights-of-way on Indian lands. The report, "Section 1813 Indian Land Rights-of-Way Study," confirmed the sovereign authority of Indian tribes to approve to energy rights-of-way on tribal lands.
Rollie began his federal career in the Department of the Interior's Office of the Solicitor where he represented tribal interests in hydroelectric licensing proceedings before FERC and federal courts of appeals. Prior to serving in the Federal government, Rollie worked as in-house counsel for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin on natural and cultural resource protection issues and participated in efforts to successfully protect the Wolf River and wild rice beds from a proposed metallic sulfide mine.
When he is not on Capitol Hill, Rollie enjoys being outside and attending concerts in the D.C. area. He lives on a small horse farm with his wife in the Virginia Country and runs with their dogs in the woods. Rollie also enjoys competing in triathlons and is still learning how to surf.
PRACTICE AREAS
Congressional and Federal Government Relations; Tribal Sovereignty and Jurisdiction; Energy, Water, Natural and Cultural Resources; and Legislative and Administrative Representation
Job Titles:
- Marketing Coordinator
- Receptionist
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founding Partner of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP
- Member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe
Thomasina is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe (Ihanktonwan) and a relative of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu).
Thomasina is a founding partner of Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP. She has more than 12 years experience representing tribal nations, tribal enterprises, and tribal members. Thomasina represents clients in all areas of tribal and federal Indian law; healthcare law; housing law; tribal court, federal court, and administrative agency litigation; administrative law; constitutional law including amendments; legislation and code drafting; contracting and compacting under P.L. 93-638; legal ethics and professional responsibility. She devotes a large portion of her practice to the general counsel representation of tribes on all matters including tribal governance, economic development initiatives, protection of tribal land holdings, tribal sovereignty, tribal jurisdiction, and tribal-state-federal relations.
Thomasina enjoys working with tribes on native nation building and supporting tribal governance. This includes the core responsibilities of passing laws and resolutions, and relations with federal, state, and local governments such as counties and towns; working to protect tribal land holdings; defending and exercising tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction; and representing tribes in economic development initiatives. Thomasina's approach to serving her clients is to listen, be courteous, be respectful, and to always be reverent to tribal custom, history, and solutions. She strongly feels that, as a native person, she wants to use her talents, education, and energy on the tribal side of the aisle.
In addition to her work representing clients, Thomasina serves as the Immediate Past President of the National Native American Bar Association and Foundation. She also serves as a member of the American Bar Association Commission on Youth at Risk (2019 - Present). She is a past member of the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession (2015-2018); a past member of the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility Diversity Committee (2014-2018); and the past Treasurer of the National Native American Bar Association and Foundation. Thomasina is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
Thomasina was born in Martin, South Dakota, just outside of the Rosebud Indian Reservation. She was a product of the Indian Health Service's contract health program. The IHS service unit at Rosebud did not offer the direct services at the time that would have enabled her mother to deliver her at the IHS facility. It is a reminder that from gestation, native people's lives are affected in every way by decisions in Washington, D.C.
Thomasina and her husband, Ken Henry Real Bird, live in Fort Lupton, Colorado; the rural setting northeast of Denver reminds her of her home in the Choteau Creek Community on the Yankton Sioux Reservation. She and Ken breed and raise quarter horses, and Thomasina enjoys being outside,doing anything involving the horses, gardening, reading, watching movies, cooking, baking, and spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Firm Administrator