Tim Purdon Appointed by United States Sentencing Commission to Tribal Issues Advisory Group

Tim Purdon, Co-Chair of Robins Kaplan LLP’s American Indian Law and Policy Group, was recently appointed to the Tribal Issues Advisory Group (“TIAG”), an independent advisory committee organized by the United States Sentencing Commission.

In Bismarck, Purdon said “I am excited to join the important work being done by the United States Sentencing Commission to ensure the fairness of the Sentencing Guidelines as they are applied to case arising in Indian Country.”  Purdon added, “I heard often from American Indians across the United States with concerns about this issue when I was U.S. Attorney, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue to work on it now.”

The mission of the TIAG is to provide the U.S. Sentencing Commission with its perspective on federal sentencing issues as they relate to American Indian defendants and criminal offenses that occur in Indian Country. The group examines the impact of federal sentencing guidelines in Indian Country and provides recommendations to address the concerns of American Indian communities. The TIAG is made up of nine voting members from across the country.

As Co-Chair of the firm’s American Indian Law and Policy Group, Tim has dedicated much of his career to protecting the sovereignty of American Indian Tribes and improving public safety in Indian Country.  Along with Robins Kaplan partner Brendan Johnson, the former U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, Tim represents Tribal Nations, American Indian owned businesses, and Tribal leaders in complex historic disputes and high stakes litigation.

Prior to joining Robins Kaplan, Tim served as North Dakota’s U.S. Attorney from 2010 to 2015, a role in which he placed special emphasis on increasing public safety on the American Indian reservations in North Dakota.  In 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Tim the Chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues subcommittee (“NAIS”).  The NAIS is responsible for making policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding public safety and legal issues that impact tribal communities. 

Tim’s two-year term on the TIAG began on December 1, 2016.