Big Firms’ Native American Law Practices Tackle Covid-19, Census

When coronavirus struck tribes earlier this year, Donald Pongrace and his American Indian law and policy group at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld pushed for federal relief funds for the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona.

Tribes have experienced high levels of infection and poorer outcomes due in part to poverty and inadequate public health resources.

“It’s been a mix of efforts to secure funding for tribes, which have been hit seriously, and making sure the federal government set aside the money and that the tribes got the money,” Pongrace said.

The Gila, one of the firm’s tribal clients, ...