Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Legal

Great Seal of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Legal Services Director

David Smith
970-563-2141

Mission

The mission of the Legal Department is to provide timely, quality, and effective legal advice and support to the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council and Tribal entities in furtherance and protection of the Tribe’s sovereignty, constitution, and laws. 


The Tribe’s in-house attorneys work on a daily basis with the Tribal Council and Tribal and casino staff to identify, analyze, and resolve legal issues. The department is the primary contact for routine legal matters faced by the Tribe’s departmental staff, such as review of contracts, personnel matters, and other legal issues. The department also represents the Tribe in civil litigation before the Tribal, state and federal courts and works closely with the Tribe’s general counsel on a wide range of issues. Due to its representation of the Tribal organization, the department cannot provide legal assistance to individual Tribal members; however, on occasion, the department has been able to provide Tribal members with referrals to other attorneys.

Law books
Dana Kopf | Southern Ute Shared Services

Return to Departments