California Federal Judge Dismisses Claims Arising From Tribal Legal Fee Dispute

(March 12, 2024, 12:06 PM EDT) -- SAN DIEGO — A California attorney who sought payment of legal fees from the California Valley Miwok Tribe failed to show that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) had a duty to clarify whether a member of the tribe who signed the attorney fee agreement was authorized to act on behalf of the tribe, a California federal judge found in dismissing the attorney’s administrative claims against the agency without prejudice....