Riyaz Kanji, member
is widely viewed as a leading trial and appellate litigator on behalf of Indian nations and tribes across the country. Chambers U.S.A. places him at the top of its list of notable practitioners in the field, describing him as "a superb litigator and a leading choice for appellate cases," and as "strategic with his litigation tactics and extremely approachable." Riyaz graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in Social Studies in 1986, and received his J.D. in 1991 from Yale Law School, where he served on the Law Journal and won the Potter Stewart Prize in the Moot Court competition. He served as a law clerk to Judge Betty Fletcher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Justice David Souter of the United States Supreme Court (October Term 1994). Prior to forming the firm with Phil Katzen, Riyaz also spent two years as a Skadden Fellow at Evergreen Legal Services in Seattle, where he principally worked on the shellfish subproceeding of United States v. Washington, and three years at Williams and Connolly in Washington, D.C., where, in addition to significant tribal representation, he litigated complex matters for clients including President Clinton, ABC News and Georgetown University.
Riyaz's present practice encompasses a wide variety of issues of central importance to the preservation and enhancement of tribal sovereignty, including vindication of tribal jurisdictional and taxation authority, Indian gaming and other economic development matters, treaty hunting and fishing rights, land claims, and environmental protection.
In addition to significant trial successes on behalf of the firm's clients, Riyaz frequently serves as specialist counsel to Indian nations and their attorneys on matters of Supreme Court and appellate practice. He is passionate about the work of the NCAI-NARF Tribal Supreme Court Project and its role in protecting tribal sovereignty. He played an active part in the formation of the Project and has devoted hundreds of hours of pro bono time to its work. He also regularly assists Indian nations in defeating efforts by the federal government, States, and private parties to have the Supreme Court review lower court decisions favorable to tribal interests.
Riyaz has testified before both Houses of Congress on matters of vital importance to Indian nations across the country, including the land-into-trust process and efforts to legislate a Carcieri fix, and is actively involved in a variety of legislative discussions and efforts, including those directed at reducing the terrible epidemic of domestic violence in Indian country. Riyaz has lectured and spoken widely, including a 2008 address to a joint judicial conference of the United States Courts of Appeals for the 8th and 10th Circuits on current issues in Indian law.
Riyaz is deeply committed to efforts to protect and enhance the environment. As one example, he served as lead litigator for the National Congress of American Indians and a coalition of Indian nations in successful efforts to require stricter federal regulation of mercury emissions by coal-fired power plants. In addition to his environmental litigation work, Riyaz works closely with environmental groups and advocacy organizations including the National Wildlife Federation, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and the Ecology Center on issues of common importance to Indian tribes and their neighbors.
Riyaz is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeal for the First, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and District of Columbia Circuits, numerous federal district and Tribal courts, and the state courts in Washington State and Michigan.
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