Don Pongrace, Partner, Public Law and Policy, American Indian Law

Donald R. Pongrace

Partner

Areas of Focus

Don Pongrace, Partner, Public Law and Policy, American Indian Law

Donald R. Pongrace

Partner

dpongrace@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Leads the American Indian law and policy group.
  • Former co-leader of the public law and policy practice.
  • Focuses on U.S. domestic policy issues and those related to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Don provides strategic advice and advocates on behalf of tribal groups, governments and corporations. He has been involved in significant policy issues around the world, and  he currently focuses his attention on policy issues relating to Sub-Saharan Africa and U.S. domestic policy issues at the federal, state and tribal levels, providing strategic advice to, and advocacy primarily on behalf of, tribal governments and tribal groups.

Don’s work on the federal aspects of tribal policies in the United States includes serving as lead counsel on the two largest Indian water settlements in U.S. history and one of the largest trust mismanagement claims in U.S. history.

Representative Work
  • Lead counsel for tribe in Colorado River basin drought contingency plan, including developing overall Arizona drought plan and negotiating tribe’s role in it.
  • Lead counsel for tribe in innovative federal funding for BIE school through a lease back arrangement, which provided accelerated funding and construction and will serve as model for other federal Indian infrastructure and construction projects.
  • Counsel to foreign candidate for president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, seeking U.S. support for free and fair elections there.
  • Lead counsel to California tribe in implementation of its congressionally approved Indian water rights settlement, including obtaining court approvals and meeting other conditions of enforceability.
  • Lead counsel for tribe seeking congressional approval of tribal trust accounting claim, which included congressional approval of all federal undocumented rights-of-way on reservation, the payment of damages and the addition of 3600 acres of new reservation lands to the tribe’s reservation.

Languages
  • French

Education
  • J.D., American University, Washington College of Law, magna cum laude, 1985

  • B.A., Bates College, magna cum laude, 1979

Clerkships
  • U.S.C.A., 4th Circuit

Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia

Recognitions
  • The National Law Journal, D.C. Trailblazer, 2020.
  • Chambers USA, Native American Law, Band 1, 2014-2024.
  • The Legal 500 US, Government Relations, 2017-2018 and 2022-2023; Leading Lawyer, 2022-2024.
  • Law360, Native American Law MVP, 2016.
Speeches and Publications
  • “Tribal Use Planning, Regulation and Management,” Tribal Economic Development in the Southwest Conference, Law Seminars International, April 17, 2015.
  • Business H20 Conference: Water in the West: Cooperation, Water Sharing & the Arizona Drought Contingency Plan, December 11, 2018.

Insights and Achievements

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