Danielle Lazore-Thompson

Akwesasne, New York
dlazore@bigfirelaw.com

TRIBAL AFFILIATION

Enrolled Member Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe 

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations: Global Conflict, Cooperation and Justice, Tufts University (B.A. 1996)

Juris Doctor, Specialization in International Legal Affairs, Cornell Law School (J.D. 2002)

BAR ADMISSIONS

New York; U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York; Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Court

PRIOR LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Cornell Law School, Adjunct Professor of Federal Indian Law (2020); University of Colorado Law School, American Indian Law Program Fellow (2019 – 2020); Senate of Canada, Parliamentary Affairs Advisor to the Honorable Murray Sinclair (2018 – 2019); Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, Staff Attorney (2003 – 2018)

TEACHING POSITIONS

Adjunct Professor, Federal Indian Law, Cornell Law School, Ithaca, NY

PRACTICE AREAS

Danielle has served as in-house counsel to Tribal Nations for 15 years. Her practice included representation on transactional and general matters for federally recognized tribes in the United States. Her work also included gaming and non-gaming economic development, communications and infrastructure development, government contracting and legislative and policy development.

Danielle is also an advocate for Indigenous peoples in the international arena. She was the first coordinator of the NARF – CU Law joint project to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She worked for the Senate of Canada as it considered the implementation of the Declaration in Canada and is experienced with First Nation issues. Danielle remains committed to assisting Tribes and First Nations with implementing the provisions of the Declaration in a way that will allow Indigenous peoples a clear and just path forward. Danielle is dedicated to advancing the interests of Indigenous peoples and to protecting Indigenous sovereignty.