Spencer Fane attorney Andy Lester was a panelist at the 48th Annual Indian Law Conference, a Federal Bar Association event, on April 17 in Albuquerque.
During the CLE panel, Public Safety and Justice in Indian County: The Castro-Huerta Decision, Andy spoke alongside fellow legal leaders Arvo Mikkanen, Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Oklahoma; Alfred Urbina, Attorney General of Pascua Yaqui; and Geri Wisner, Attorney General of Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Together, they discussed the impact of the 2022 Supreme Court Case Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, which ruled that both the federal and state governments held joint jurisdiction to prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes on native lands. The panel examined the collaborative efforts of tribes and states under Castro-Huerta, the fiscal aspects of implementing the new law enforcement measures, and future federal funding for tribes and states.
Co-hosted by the Indian Law Section, the Conference hosted this and other presentations centered on the theme Empowering Indian Country Through Action. Speakers and attendees came together for two days to address how law practitioners can help tribes and Indigenous individuals to protect their rights, lands, communities, and culture while maintaining collaboration with the state and federal governments.
At Spencer Fane, Andy maintains a civil litigation and appellate practice in both state and federal court. His fields of emphasis include complex business, civil rights, commercial, constitutional, and state and local government law.
