Padraic I. McCoy

Padraic I. McCoy (Quechan/Cherokee), Adj. Professor of Law (University of Denver), represents Indian tribes and Indian country developers and investors on a variety of topics with an emphasis on finance, transactional and regulatory matters, Indian gaming, and Indian lands. Padraic began his legal career in Washington, D.C., and has several years of experience with the Department of the Interior and the National Indian Gaming Commission. Padraic has been nationally recognized for his work, including from Super Lawyers, Native American Law, and Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Native American Law (National).

Padraic’s practice also involves land-into-trust, Indian land determinations, leases, management and development agreements, gaming compacts, energy transactions, environmental law/NEPA, Oklahoma Indian issues, Indian healthcare matters, and over $1.0 billion in tribal financings. Padraic also represents clients in litigation matters in federal courts and before federal agencies.

Padraic has worked as an attorney for large law firms in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Denver/Boulder, including Sonosky Chambers; Holland & Knight; and Faegre & Benson. Padraic served as extern to a U.S. District Court and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, completed his Juris Doctor and Masters Degree in American Indian Studies at UCLA, and has authored several published articles, including Sovereign Immunity and Tribal Commercial Activity, The Federal Lawyer, March/April 2010; The Land Must Hold The People: Native Modes of Territoriality and Contemporary Tribal Justifications for Placing Land Into Trust Through 25 C.F.R. Part 151, 27 Am. Indian L. Rev. 421; and The End of “Existing Indian Family” Jurisprudence: Holyfield at 20, In the Matter of A.J.S., and the Last Gasps of a Dying Doctrine, Dan Lewerenz and Padraic McCoy, 36 Will. Mitch. L. Rev. 684 (2010). Padraic graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine, with a B.A. in Criminology, Law & Society.

Since 2012, Padraic has served on the law faculty at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, where he teaches federal-Indian law, and sometimes guest lectures at the University of Colorado, School of Law. Padraic is President of the Colorado Indian Bar Association, and is admitted to practice before several federal, state, and tribal courts.

Education

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
M.A., American Indian Studies

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
B.A.,magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

• California, Colorado

Specialties

Federal Indian law, Indian Gaming, Tribal and Public Finance, Real Estate Development and Environmental Law