Thomas W. Fredericks Honored with Lawrence Baca Lifetime Achievement Award
Louisville, CO (PRWEB) April 28, 2014 -- The Indian Law Section of the Federal Bar Association recently honored Thomas W. Fredericks, Senior Partner of Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP (FPM), with the Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Federal Indian Law. The award was presented to Mr. Fredericks at the Awards Luncheon held on April 11, 2014, during the Federal Bar Association’s 39th Annual Indian Law Conference at the Hilton Hotel at the Pueblo of Pojoaque’s Buffalo Thunder Resort.
In 2008, the Indian Law Section of the Federal Bar Association created the Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Federal Indian Law to honor Mr. Baca’s career and contributions to the Federal Bar Association. Mr. Baca is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, was a past President of the Federal Bar Association, and currently serves as the Treasurer of the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA). This award is given annually to an outstanding practitioner or professor of the Indian law community who has practiced for 20 years or longer.
Mr. Fredericks was selected for the 2014 award due to his significant contributions to the field of Indian law through over 40 years of litigation, development of legislation, scholarship, and development of Indian law students. He began his legal career in the 1970s and was a founding member of the NNABA, serving as the association’s first president from 1973-1976. During this time he also served as Director of the Native American Rights Fund. Later, Mr. Fredericks went on to work in Washington, D.C. as a Solicitor and an Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. In these positions, Mr. Fredericks helped formulate policy governing such things as water rights and gaming.
After his time in Washington, Mr. Fredericks went into private practice in order to continue his work providing better representation to American Indian tribes and organizations throughout the United States. FPM is one of the largest firms in the country dedicated solely to the practice of Indian law. Mr. Fredericks continues to create a better future for Indian communities by working on projects to build infrastructure in Indian Country, implementing forward-thinking economic development projects, securing appropriate tax treatment for Indian commerce, and working to improve the Government’s role as trustee for Indian tribes and Indian assets.
Mr. Fredericks has not only made his own personal contributions to Indian Country; he has also pushed fellow Indian law practitioners to help “level the playing field” for Indian tribes. In his nomination letter, Dale T. White, General Counsel for Tarbell Management Group, described Mr. Fredericks as “a giant in the Indian law field,” and said that “it’s fair to say that he has mentored, taught and trained more Native lawyers than anyone else [he] knows.” This praise was echoed by Martha King and Joanne Curry, Partners of FPM, and Thomasina Real Bird and Chris Reagan, Associates of FPM, in their nomination letter, stating that Mr. Fredericks’ own commitment to the advancement of Indian communities is multiplied through his mentorship of new attorneys “who also advance justice and fairness for Indian country and for the betterment of society and to the community as a whole.” In response to his selection, current National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) President Mary Smith stated, “Mr. Fredericks had devoted his career to advancing equal and fair treatment for Indian tribes. NNABA applauds its first President, Mr. Fredericks, on achieving this prestigious award.”
Mr. Fredericks is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of the Fort Berthold Reservation. He graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 1972. In addition to the Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Fredericks has been the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Private Practice Award and the George Norlin Award, both presented by the University of Colorado Law School.
Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP is dedicated to the representation of American Indian tribes and Native American organizations throughout the United States. Legal services provided by Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP include a wide spectrum of services related to Indian concerns in the areas of business transactions, litigation, self-determination, and government affairs. To learn more about the firm, please visit our website at http://www.ndnlaw.com.
Janice Jessen, [email protected], +1 (712) 224-5420, [email protected]
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