Frank Lawrence

Frank has nearly 30 years of experience representing tribal governments and entities in a broad range of tribal, federal and state law matters, with an emphasis on sovereignty and jurisdictional issues. Frank’s practice includes appellate, civil and administrative litigation in tribal, federal and state courts and agencies. He has extensive experience advising tribal councils, developing tribal codes, ordinances, resolutions and policies, creating tribal governmental and economic development entities, and counseling clients in all aspects of federal Indian law, contracts, administrative law, employment issues, and environmental law, among other areas. Frank has written numerous amicus curie briefs for Tribes, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Gaming Association, and the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, in Indian law cases at the United States Supreme Court, federal circuit courts of appeal, federal district courts, and state supreme and appellate courts. Frank’s practice has focused on advocating for Tribes in areas of overlapping jurisdiction among federal, state, local and tribal governments.
Prior to forming the Law Office of Frank Lawrence, Frank was a Partner in the Indian Law Practice Group at Holland & Knight LLP, beginning in 2000. Before that he served as an associate at two Indian Law boutique firms. While in private practice, Frank also taught federal Indian law, legal writing and ethics as an adjunct professor of law at the University of California Davis School of Law. In addition to U.C. Davis Law School, he has lectured on federal Indian law at the McGeorge School of Law, California State University, Sacramento, National Indian Gaming Association Conferences, Western Indian Gaming Conferences, and G2E, the Global Gaming Expo, among other venues.
Before entering private practice, Frank served as the first law clerk to the Honorable David F. Levi (ret.), U.S. Dist. Ct for the Eastern Dist. of CA.

California

Since 1990

5th Circuit

9th Circuit

D.C. Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Owner

Law Office of Frank Lawrence

2013 - Current

Partner, Indian Law

Holland and Knight LLP

2000 - 2013

Associate, Indian Law

Levine & Associates

1994 - 2000

Associate, Indian Law

Dickstein & Merin

1991 - 1994

Law Clerk to the Hon. David F. Levi

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

1990 - 1991

Law Clerk to the Hon. Lawrence K. Karlton

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

1989 - 1990

Law Clerk to the Hon. Raul A. Ramirez

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

1989 - 1989

Extern to the Hon. Stanley Mosk

California Supreme Court

1988 - 1988

University of California College of the Law, San Francisco

J.D. (1989)

1986 - 1989

Honors: Magna Cum Laude Order of the Coif American Jurisprudence Award, Federal Courts American Jurisprudence Award, Trial Advocacy American Jurisprudence Award, Wills and Trusts

Activities: Hastings Law Journal, Editor Hastings Int'l & Comparative Law Review, Editor Thurston Society, Hastings College of the Law Hastings Public Interest Law Foundation

University of California - Santa Cruz

B.A. (1983) | American Studies

1979 - 1983

Honors: Cum Laude

Activities: Editor in Chief, City on a Hill Press U.C. News Editor, City on a Hill Press Senior thesis examined tension between First Amendment and Sixth Amendment in capital murder cases.

American Bar Association

Current

California State Bar  # 147531

Member

1990 - Current

Milton L. Schwartz/David F. Levi American Inn of Court

1991 - 1993

Navigating Tribal Law: Tribal Sovereignty and Sovereign Immunity

Thompson Reuters

2012

The Indian Gaming Handbook

Levine & Assoc.

1999

The Nuremberg Principles

Hastings Law Journal

1989

California Indian Law Association; Western Indian Gaming Conference; G2E; California Indian Conference & Gathering; U.C. Davis School of Law; McGeorge School of Law; Cal. State Sacramento