Jessie Barrington is an attorney with experience in Indian law and Tribal policy. She is an enrolled citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians and focuses her practice on enhancing tribal sovereignty for the firm’s Tribal Nations and First Nations clients.

General Counsel Services

Jessie handles general counsel matters for federally recognized Indian tribes and their business enterprises. She provides advice on governance and tribal government systems; drafts and reviews tribal laws, resolutions, and contracts; and advises on business and enterprise development strategy, real estate transactions, tax policy, and land into trust applications.

Tribal Policy

Jessie works with Tribes to secure ownership of their ancestral homelands, expand their Tribally-owned businesses, and engage in government-to-government relationships with state and federal agencies.

About Jessie

Prior to joining CHP, Jessie served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the Executive Director of the Western Resources Legal Center in Portland, Oregon. Jessie’s experience as an Assistant United States Attorney in Portland, Oregon included a significant legal victory in U.S. v. Smith at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a pivotal case influenced by the McGirt decision on tribal treaty and reservation rights.

As Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Jessie played a key role in shaping policy and strengthening partnerships with Tribal Nations, emphasizing tribal sovereignty and self-governance. She also worked at the DOI Regional Solicitor’s Office providing counsel on Indian land and tribal rights issues.

Jessie is co-author of American Indian Identity: Citizenship, Membership, and Blood. She graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School, where she was president of the Native American Law Students Association during her second and third years. She received her B.S. degree from Portland State University.

Jessie is an adjunct professor of law at Lewis and Clark Law School. She is licensed to practice law in Oregon, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, and she is pursuing licensing in Virginia.