Sheila D. Corbine

272 Ho-Chunk Plaza, Ste. A

Winnebago, NE 68071

scorbine@bigfirelaw.com

Tribal Affiliation

Enrolled Member Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in History, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (B.A. 1990)

Juris Doctor, University of Minnesota School of Law (J.D. 1993)

Bar Admissions

Connecticut; Minnesota; Nebraska; Wisconsin; Iowa; United States Supreme Court; Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals; U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin; Ho-Chunk Tribal Court; Winnebago Tribal Court

Prior Legal Experience

Fredericks Peebles & Morgan (2014-2019); Reserve Judge for the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (2004-2017); Tribal Court Judge for the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (2000-2004); Staff Attorney for Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut (2004-2006); Ho-Chunk Nation Attorney General (2001-2003; 2006-2014); Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice (1995-2001)

Associations and Honors

Wisconsin State Bar Association; Minnesota State Bar Association; Federal Bar Association; Nebraska State Bar Association; Wisconsin State Bar Indian Law Section; Minnesota State Bar Indian Law Section; Nebraska State Bar Indian Law Section; Nebraska State Bar Federal Section; Federal Bar Association

Legal Authorship

Co-Author, When the Family is Native American; Understanding the Indian Child Welfare Act, The Federalization of Family Law, Family Advocate (ABA 2000); Indian Child Welfare Act: A Manual Update for Wisconsin Practitioners, Wisconsin Judicare, Inc. (1995)

Practice Areas

In her long career as general counsel for the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Ms. Corbine has practiced in every area of tribal law. Her tribal governance practice includes legal services for all tribal departments, including without limitation elections, enrollment, education, social services, law enforcement, natural resources, personnel, and finance. She has developed tribal courts from the ground up and assisted tribes with creating tribal government structures. Ms. Corbine has drafted and finalized tribal codes in the substantive areas listed above. She has also represented tribes in code enforcement and in government-to-government consultation in a broad range of substantive areas.

Ms. Corbine also has experience assisting tribes with self-governance programs, including in the area of health care. Specifically, Ms. Corbine was instrumental in transferring the Winnebago Indian Health Service Hospital in Winnebago, Nebraska to control by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The facility, now operated by the Tribe, is called the Twelve Clans Hospital.

Ms. Corbine also has extensive gaming experience, including fee-to-trust, negotiation of state-tribal compacts, defending and settling National Indian Gaming Commission enforcement actions against tribal casinos, surveillance, and government-to-government consultations on such issues as Minimum Internal Control Standards.

Ms. Corbine further practices in the area of economic development. She has represented tribes in corporate and regulatory code drafting, entity creation, financing, new markets tax credits, and Section 8(a) government contracting.

Finally, Ms. Corbine has a robust practice in tribal taxation, including developing tribal tax codes, creating general welfare programs, and acting as tribal point of contact with the Internal Revenue Service tribal liaison.