Policy Analysis and Research
Effective strategies for protecting and expanding tribal sovereignty require thorough analysis of potential policy impacts of proposed changes in legislation or regulations. At the federal, tribal, or state level, decision makers look for high-quality analysis to assist them in making the right decision. This analysis can take many forms, ranging from historical review of treaties and legal events, economic analysis and modeling, or policy analysis of proposed changes in federal, state, or tribal laws and regulations.
I have served as a tenured professor of Indian law and policy, as a university tribal policy center director, and as a tribal government policy advisor with experience serving as an expert witness in litigation, preparing expert legal and historical research and analysis, and testifying before Congress. Moreover, my experiences as an elected tribal president and former tribal attorney provide him with a unique and practical perspective in the public policy arena. As circumstances arise, I partner with nationally recognized experts and professional service firms in support of specific client needs.
Odawi Law PLLC can assist clients in the following areas:
Expert Testimony
Expertise is essential to success in litigation, lobbying and other forms of advocacy. Credible expert testimony helps judges, lawmakers, and agency administrators understand complex issues involving treaty history, tribal tax jurisdiction, and the regulation of Indian gaming. Robert Odawi Porter is a former tenured professor of American Indian Law at the University of Kansas, the University of Iowa, and Syracuse University. He has a deep reservoir of knowledge rooted in a scholarly approach to the study and practice of Indian law and policy. He has provided expert witness testimony and reports and can also assist in preparing expert witnesses in Indian law cases.
Economic and Public Policy Analysis
Traditional approaches for asserting tribal sovereignty have relied heavily on legal and political strategies. Modern strategies should add economic and policy research to validate Indian legal and political claims. Whether they are impact studies, resource valuations, tax analyses, or program evaluations, such analyses help make the case. They can even uncover “win-win” opportunities that unassisted legal and political strategies often miss or preclude. To complement its internal expertise, Odawi Law PLLC engages national-caliber firms like the Taylor Policy Group, Inc. to prepare economic and public policy analysis in support of tribal advocacy and litigation.
