President - Julia Giffin

Julia is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma. She is an Attorney Advisor for the Office of Tribal Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice, focusing on civil and appellate matters. Julia previously worked in private practice at a law firm representing Native American Tribes. She received her B.A. from Whittier College her J.D. from Cornell Law School. Before law school, Julia attended the Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) at the American Indian Law Center, Inc., and later returned as a Teaching Assistant. While at Cornell, she served as the President of her local Native American Law Students Association chapter and as the Secretary of the National Native American Law Students Association. 

Secretary - Heather Krick

Heather, an enrolled member of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, is a public interest immigration attorney who uses trauma informed practices to mentor pro bono attorneys through their volunteer cases for humanitarian relief. 

Heather is licensed to practice in Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the United States Supreme Court. Heather received her juris doctor from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and her Bachelor of Science from Towson University.

Member-at-Large -

Shara Burwell

Shara Burwell is Anishinaabe, a Descendant of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She currently works as an associate at Hobbs, Straus, Dean, & Walker, LLP. During law school at UCLA School of Law, she was one of three inaugural Graton Scholars to receive a full-tuition scholarship for students pursuing a legal career in Native American and Tribal law and policy. She served as Co-President of the Native American Law Students Association, Co-Editor-and-Chief of the Indigenous Peoples Journal of Law, Culture, & Resistance, Research Assistant for Professor Angela Riley, and Managing Editor on UCLA Law Review. Shara graduated law school in 2024 with specializations in Native Nations Law, Environmental Law, and International & Comparative Law, and received pro bono distinction for her volunteer work in international prison reform.

President Elect - Maurisa Bell

Maurisa is an associate in Dentons’ Native American Law and Policy and Public Policy and Regulation practices in the Washington, DC office.  She completed her undergraduate degree at Montana State University and earned her JD and an Indigenous Law certificate from Michigan State University College of Law.  She has served on the NABA-DC Board in various capacities over the last few years and currently serves as President-Elect.  Maurisa was raised in Wyoming and is a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe.

Bar Liaison - Lucas LaRose

Lucas LaRose is an enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and a licensed attorney specializing in Indian Country Economic Development issues. Throughout his career, Lucas has accrued experiences in different industries spanning government contracting and corporate legal practice to government affairs while working in Congress. 

An alumnus of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law (Arizona State University), Lucas has obtained multiple certifications and honors in the field of compliance and ethics, and has contributed to news publications and media outlets on topics related to the Winnebago Tribe and Native American issues. 

He strives to uphold the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and professionalism, while continuing to support the economic development and empowerment of the Winnebago Tribe and other Native American communities.  

Member-at-Large -

Haninah Levine

Haninah Levine is a federal government attorney with nearly a decade of experience in environmental, public lands, and Native American law. He currently serves as an Associate General Counsel at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and is a former member of the DC Bar Association’s Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Steering Committee. Born in Jerusalem, Haninah has lived in DC since 2005.

Treasurer - Claire Newfeld

Claire is an Associate Attorney at Hobbs, Straus, Dean, and Walker in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Her mixed law/lobbying practice is varied and includes matters relating to Indian education, self-determination and self-governance, Public Law 102-477, federal procurement law, and energy tax incentives. Claire has served on the NABA-DC Board since 2023 and assists with NABA-DC’s summer intern program and social events. Prior to her time in D.C., Claire graduated from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University with a J.D. and Certificate in Indian Law and received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Member-at-Large -

Liz Bower

Liz Bower is an attorney with Hobbs Straus Dean & Walker. Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, Liz received her BA in English from George Mason University and her JD, cum laude, from Vermont Law School. Following law school, Liz spent a year clerking for Justice Susan M. Carney with the Alaska Supreme Court in Fairbanks, Alaska. Prior to joining Hobbs Straus in July 2024, Liz spent several years practicing environmental law at a non-profit law firm in West Virginia, primarily litigating issues related to surface coal mining and natural gas pipelines. Outside of work, Liz loves hiking with her dog Freyja, curling up to read fantasy novels with her cat Harper, and spending time with her husband Dustin.

Member-at-Large -

Mitchell Forbes

Mitchell Forbes is an enrolled member of the Native Village of Shishmaref, an Inupiaq village in northwest Alaska. He is currently a staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, where he works primarily on behalf of Alaska Native villages on issues related to lands, subsistence, and sovereignty. Mitchell attended the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as co-president of the Michigan Law Native American Law Students Association.