Biography
Professor Jessie Barrington is an expert in Federal Indian law, natural resources law, civil and criminal litigation, and public policy, and brings a wealth of practical experience to the classroom. In addition to her adjunct professor role, Professor Barrington serves as the dedicated Executive Director of the Western Resources Legal Center, located at Lewis & Clark Law School.
Prior to this role, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland, Oregon. Professor Barrington handled hundreds of cases and lead the Financial Litigation Unit for the District of Oregon. She notably won a significant case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, United States v. Smith, which addressed federal criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country.
Prior to her role as an Assistant United States Attorney, Professor Barrington contributed to national policy as a Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. Her role was pivotal in shaping Indian Affairs policy within the U.S. Department of the Interior. She also represented Indian Affairs at the federal level and nurtured vital government-to-government relations with Federally Recognized Tribes.
Professor Barrington also served at the Department of the Interior as an Attorney-Advisor with the Office of the Regional Solicitor in Portland, Oregon, and exhibited deep expertise across an expansive range of legal domains. Her purview included everything from environmental compliance and real property acquisitions to privacy law, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and complex issues related to leasing, permitting, and taxation. Within the realm of natural resources and environmental law, Professor Barrington navigated compliance with key statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Wilderness Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Her contributions to Indian law stand as another hallmark of her career at the Solicitor’s Office. Professor Barrington tackled a myriad of issues, from treaty rights and trespass to leasing of Indian lands and rights-of-way. Her work also delved into the complexities of land trust acquisition and included drafting legal opinions on the implications of the landmark case, Carcieri v. Salazar, on tribal communities.
Professor Barrington has been part of our faculty since August 2018. She has taught courses on Federal Indian Law, NALSA Moot Court, and is slated to guide students through the WRLC Practicum each semester and teach Advanced Topics in Federal and Tribal Law in Spring 2024.
She holds a Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School, where she was honored with membership in the Cornelius Honors Society and received the 2011 Community Service Award. As a student, she also served as President of the Native American Law Students Association.
Professor Barrington is the co-author of “American Indian Identity: Citizenship, Membership, and Blood” by Se-ah-dom Edmo, Jessie Young, and Alan Parker (Praeger Publishing, 2016).
Professor Barrington is also an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.
Previous Courses:
Advanced Topics in Federal and Tribal Indian Law - Spring 2024
Federal Indian Law - Fall 2022
Moot Court: NALSA - Fall 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
Moot Court NALSA (National) - Spring 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Specialty Areas and Course Descriptions
National Resources Litigation/WRLC: Practicum - Spring 2025