Robins Kaplan Files U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Brief on Behalf of Former U.S. Attorneys

January 25, 2020 - Robins Kaplan LLP filed an amicus brief at the United States Supreme Court in a matter that the firm is handling pro bono on behalf of a group of former United States Attorneys. The case, United States v. Cooley, concerns the scope of tribal law enforcement’s search and seizure authority over non-Natives on the Reservation. Tim Purdon and Brendan Johnson, both former U.S. Attorneys who co-chair the firm’s American Indian Law and Policy Group, are amici in the brief.

“As former U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted federal crimes on Reservations, the ten amici in this brief are all deeply familiar with the jurisdictional challenges facing federal, state, and tribal law enforcement officers and prosecutors as they endeavor to fight crime in those communities,” says Purdon. “I am pleased to have the firm support us on this important pro bono matter which will help strengthen public safety for American Indian Tribes across the country.”

Robins Kaplan’s pro bono program has a long-standing commitment to representing American Indian Tribes across the U.S. The firm’s work on behalf of Tribes includes representation of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in a lawsuit against the federal government after it closed the only hospital emergency room on the Rosebud reservation and an important North Dakota Voting Rights case for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Spirit Lake Nation. This work has earned the firm recognition on the National Law Journal’s Pro Bono Hot List.

“We are glad to support Tim, Brendan, and their fellow former U.S. Attorneys in this important matter concerning public safety for Tribal communities,” said Logan Drew, chair of Robins Kaplan’s Pro Bono Committee. “We continue our commitment to work on issues important to  American Indian Tribes.” 

The Robins Kaplan attorneys who worked on this pro bono matter are Eric Magnuson and Eric Boettcher.