JESSIE BARRINGTON
Executive Director Jessie Barrington is an experienced litigator and educator with extensive experience in the fields of natural resources and environmental law, Federal Indian law, civil and criminal litigation, and public policy.
Before taking on her leadership role at WRLC, Jessie served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Portland, Oregon. During her tenure, she handled hundreds of cases lead the Financial Litigation Unit for the District of Oregon. Her legal acumen was demonstrated in her significant win at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of United States v. Smith, which had a major impact on federal criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country.
Prior to her role as an Assistant United States Attorney, Jessie contributed to national policy as a Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. Her role was pivotal in shaping Indian Affairs policy within the U.S. Department of the Interior. She also represented Indian Affairs at the federal level and nurtured vital government-to-government relations with Federally Recognized Tribes.
Jessie also served at the Department of the Interior as an Attorney-Advisor with the Office of the Regional Solicitor in Portland, Oregon, and exhibited deep expertise across an expansive range of legal domains. Her purview included everything from environmental compliance and real property acquisitions to privacy law, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and complex issues related to leasing, permitting, and taxation. Within the realm of natural resources and environmental law, Jessie navigated compliance with key statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Wilderness Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Her contributions to Indian law stand as another hallmark of her career at the Solicitor’s Office. Jessie tackled a myriad of issues, from treaty rights and trespass to leasing of Indian lands and rights-of-way. Her work also delved into the complexities of land trust acquisition and included drafting legal opinions on the implications of the landmark case, Carcieri v. Salazar, on tribal communities.
Jessie has been part of the Lewis & Clark Law School faculty since August 2018. She has taught courses on Federal Indian Law, NALSA Moot Court, and is slated to guide students through the WRLC Practicum each semester and teach Advanced Topics in Federal and Tribal Law in Spring 2024.
She holds a Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School, where she was honored with membership in the Cornelius Honors Society and received the 2011 Community Service Award. As a student, she also served as President of the Native American Law Students Association.
Jessie is the co-author of “American Indian Identity: Citizenship, Membership, and Blood” by Se-ah-dom Edmo, Jessie Young (Barrington), and Alan Parker (Praeger Publishing, 2016).
Jessie is also an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.
Jessie can be reached at jbarrington@wrlegal.org.