Hillary Tompkins, the former Solicitor at the Department of the Interior, is seen during a visit to the Navajo Nation in August 2009. Photo: Tami A. Heilemann / DOI
Hillary Tompkins, who was the first Native woman to serve as Solicitor at the Department of the Interior, has joined the law and lobbying firm of Hogan Lovells. Tompkins, who is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, was the top legal official at the Interior Department for all eight years of the Obama administration. As a partner in her firm's Washington, D.C., office, she will now be focusing on Indian law, environmental law and related matters. “As we look to expand the firm’s Indian country work, Hilary’s close relationships with Indian Country leaders combined with her previous experience representing Indian nations, will be a great asset,” said Adam Kushner, the co-head of the Environmental practice group at Hogan Lovells. During her time at Interior, Tompkins was instrumental in resolving the Cobell trust fund lawsuit and more than 100 tribal trust fund lawsuits. The value of the settlements topped more than $6.7 billion. Tompkins also assisted with the settlement and implementation of several tribal water rights cases. More recently, as part of the ongoing dispute over the Dakota Access Pipeline, she authored a pro-treaty rights legal opinion but it has since been put on hold by the new Trump administration.
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