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John Swimmer is a member of Godfrey & Kahn's Indian Nations Law Team and is located in our Milwaukee office. Since joining Godfrey & Kahn in 2006, he has represented tribes throughout Indian Country with an emphasis in economic development and building tribal infrastructure. His practice covers a wide variety of issues including, but not limited to, public finance, economic development, USDA rural development water and sewer bonds, housing, and gaming. Before joining Godfrey & Kahn, John served as the Mille Lacs Chippewa Tribe's chief legal counsel, overseeing the Tribe's legal staff and advising the Tribal government on a wide variety of matters, including sovereignty protection, government relations, and economic development. He has drafted numerous tribal codes, ordinances, resolutions and policies. He has defended tribal interests in a variety of forums, and has negotiated inter-governmental agreements between tribes and other governments. Before working as the Mille Lacs Band Solicitor General, he worked as a tribal attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice. John is licensed to practice before the United States District Court, Western District of Wisconsin; the State of Wisconsin; the United States District Court, District of Minnesota; the State of Minnesota; the Ho-Chunk Nation Tribal Court; the Lac Du Flambeau Tribal Court; and the Mille Lacs Band Court of Central Jurisdiction. He is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications from the University of Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School in 1998. John served on the Wisconsin Professional Responsibility Committee for the Wisconsin State Bar for five years. He served on the Minnesota Judge's Bench Book Committee and advised on the Indian Child Welfare Chapter. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
Representative Matters
County of Mille Lacs v. Melanie Benjamin, Inc. Assisted in representation of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in federal court action against plaintiff Mille Lacs County in a lawsuit seeking to diminish the Mille Lacs Reservation. Won summary judgment dismissing the suit with prejudice in favor of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
CDW v. Ho-Chunk Nation Gaming Commission. Represented CDW in an administrative action to reinstate its vendors license. Successfully reinstated license and allowed CDW to continue doing business with the Ho-Chunk Nation.
Honors
2008 Leaders in Law Award Recipient (Wisconsin Law Journal)
In the News
January 24, 2008 - John Swimmer was featured in "Diversity in Law: An Introduction in Indian Law" (Wisconsin Law Journal)
July 19, 2006 - Brian Pierson is quoted--and John Swimmer is mentioned--in "State Indian Law Needs on the Rise," (Wisconsin Law Journal)
Seminars & Events
Financing Indian Gaming Enterprises - Apr 11, 2008
Emerging Issues in Indian Law - Nov 06, 2007
7th Semiannual Native American Finance Conference - Oct 15, 2007
Native American Finance & Economic Development Conference - Oct 01, 2007
Sovereignty Symposium: Governmental vs. Commercial Distinctions of Tribal Sovereign Immunity - May 31, 2007
Labor Relations in Indian Country - Mar 23, 2007
National Tribal Child Support Training Conference - Aug 13, 2006
Admitted to Practice
Minnesota
Wisconsin - 1998
Activities
Wisconsin State Bar Indian Law Section Chairman
American Indian Chamber of Commerce Board Member
Education
Juris Doctor, University of Wisconsin Law School, 1998
Bachelor of Arts, University of Oklahoma, 1990, Speech Communications.
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