The Dorsay & Easton Team
Lea Ann Easton, Partner
Meet Lea Ann Easton
Lea Ann Easton represents tribal governments in the Pacific Northwest on a wide variety of issues including fee-to-trust issues, treaty rights, tribal code development work, child welfare and economic development and litigation on behalf of tribal governments. She also works with tribal governments in negotiations with local and state government agencies on inter-governmental agreements.
Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon
J.D., May 1987
Honors: Cornelius Honor Society
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
B.A., American Studies and Political Science, 1984
Honors: Summa Cum Laude
- Oregon State Bar Association
- Washington State Bar Association
State:
- Oregon
- Washington
Tribal:
- Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
- Samish Indian Nation
- Hoh Indian Nation
- Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
- Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw
- Burns Indian Tribe
Federal:
- Federal District Court for Oregon
- Federal District Court for Western Washington
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
Dorsay & Easton LLP, Portland, Oregon
Partner
January 2008 to Present
Law Offices of Craig Dorsay
Attorney
September 2005 to December 2008
Representing tribal clients and tribal entities on a variety of Indian law and tribal law issues including but not limited to treaty fishing rights, the Indian Child Welfare Act, tribal law development, housing, land use, employment law, sovereignty, water law, and jurisdictional issues.
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal Court
Associate Tribal Court Judge
2005 to 2009
Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark, Portland, Oregon
Adjunct Professor
Clinical Instructor for Indian Law Internship Class
2004 to 2010
Native American Program Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Portland, Oregon
Executive Director, August 1998 to September 2005
Director of Litigation, February 1992 to January 1993
Staff Attorney, March 1989 to January 1993; April 1995 to August 1998
Executive Director responsibilities included supervising the program's legal work, supervising program staff including ICW Unit for Multnomah County Juvenile Court, managing program finances, administering tribal contracts, maintaining communication with the NAPOLS Advisory Board, and maintaining a caseload.
Director of Litigation responsibilities included maintaining caseload, supervising staff attorneys, and providing ongoing training for legal staff.
Staff Attorney areas of practice included treaty fishing rights, the Indian Child Welfare Act, constitutional development, employment law, sovereignty and jurisdictional issues, water law, and archaeological resource protection.
Juvenile Rights Project, Portland, Oregon
Staff Attorney
January 1993 to March 1995
Responsibilities included representing children in dependency and delinquency court proceedings in Multnomah County.
Jolles, Sokol & Bernstein, P.C., Portland, Oregon
Research Attorney
October 1987 to December 1988
Responsibilities included assisting attorneys in trial preparation, drafting pleadings, interviewing clients, taking depositions and negotiating settlements.
Native American Rights Fund, Boulder, Colorado
Law Clerk
August 1986 to December 1986
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Portland, Oregon
Law Clerk
September 1985 to August 1986
- Oregon State Bar Juvenile Law Section
- Oregon State Bar Indian Law Section
- Oregon Law Foundation
- Task Force on Family & Juvenile Law Code Revision
- Board Member, Portland Veteran’s Acupuncture Association
1737 NE Alberta St, Ste 208
Portland, OR 97211
Phone: (503) 790-9060