Biography

James E. Glaze joined the firm in 1993.  He assists tribal clients on a wide range of legal matters, including litigation and negotiations under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, federal construction and public infrastructure projects (including health clinics, hospitals, schools, tribal justice centers, water treatment and supply systems, road and bridge projects), labor law, employment law and tribal governance matters.  He also leads the firm’s transportation and public infrastructure practice and regularly is asked to speak at national and regional tribal conferences.  Mr. Glaze helped to develop many first-of-their-kind tribal funding agreements, including the first tribal transportation innovative financing agreement, the first IRR Program self-governance compact, the first FHWA IRR Program Agreements and many Tribal-State fund transfer agreements. 

Mr. Glaze served as an attorney advisor to the tribal members of the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee and the IHS Self-Governance Negotiated Rulemaking Committee.  He also played a leading national advocacy role in the development of the tribal transportation program and funding provisions included in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Following passage of these laws, Mr. Glaze worked closely with tribal and federal officials to implement new tribal transportation programs within the U.S. Department of Transportation, including the Tribal Transit Grant Program, the Federal Highway Administration-Federal Lands Highways (FHWA-FLH) IRR Program, and the Tribal Scenic Byways Program. 

Honors

• Mr. Glaze has received awards for pro bono and public service from U.C. Davis and the Sacramento Bar Association.

Reported Decisions

• Amoco Prod. Co. v. Watson, 410 F.3d 722 (D.C. Cir. 2005) (amicus)
• Indep. Petroleum Ass'n of America v. DeWitt, 279 F.3d 1036 (D.C. Cir. 2002) (amicus)
• Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd., 234 F.3d 714 (D.C. Cir. 2000)
• Ramah Navajo Sch. Bd., Inc. v. Babbit, 87 F.3d 1338 (D.C. Cir. 1996)

Publications

The Transformation to Tribal Self-Governance in the Transportation Arena: A Progress Through Legislative Milestones, 294 TR News 19-25 (September-October 2014)

 Fixing the Potholes: Tribes Exercise Practical Sovereignty to Assume Control of Tribal Transportation Systems, 294 TR News 27-30 (September-October 2014)

Developing the Mineral Res on the "Rez," the New Indian Gas Royalty Regulations: Is it Still a Matter of Trust?, Petroleum Accounting and Financial Management Journal, Vol. 22, No. 1 (2003)