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Steve Bodmer
USC Gould School of Law

Steve Bodmer

Lecturer In Law

699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA

Last Updated: January 11, 2023




Steve M. Bodmer is an enrolled member of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina and veteran of the U.S. Navy. He received his JD from Arizona State University College of Law, where he also earned the Indian Legal Program Certificate for extensive study in the area of Federal Indian law.

Bodmer practiced Indian law in the private practice setting for several years in Phoenix, Arizona, until leaving to serve as general counsel for tribe in Central California. Bodmer has also previously worked in Washington, D.C., for Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota on the senator’s Indian Affairs team and also worked for the Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice.

Bodmer serves as general counsel for the Pechanga Band of Indians in Temecula, California. In this role Bodmer provides legal counsel to the Tribal Council, the Pechanga Development Corporation, and oversight for the legal affairs of the Pechanga Resort and Casino and other economic diversification projects of the tribe. Among other areas of practice, Bodmer specializes in federal Indian law, gaming law, tribal governance and tribal economic development. He is also an adjunct professor with Arizona State University Law, teaching Contemporary Issues in Tribal Economic Development. Bodmer is a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and has presented at conferences throughout the U.S. and internationally for over a decade on topics such as the future of tribal sovereignty, gaming law and sports betting.

FACULTY IN THE NEWS

LLM Guide
June 5, 2023
Re: USC Gould School of Law

Law schools have been adapting to the increase in technological advancements, especially with the increased need for attorneys with the creation of AI. “Attorneys work on the front end, conducting threat assessments to ensure that their clients’ systems and data are protected, and on the back end, to navigate any legal issues that may arise as a result of the attacks," Gruzas said.

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP

Robin Craig
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"Did Sackett Bring Clarity to 'Waters of the United States'?," 54:6 Trends (forthcoming July/August 2023) (accepted May 31, 2023).

Robin Craig
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"Tribal Water Rights and Tribal Health: the Klamath Tribes and the Navajo Nation During the Covid-19 Pandemic," 16 Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy 35 (published 2023), was summarized and promoted on the Race, Racism, and the Law website run by Professor Vernellia Randall, University of Dayton School of Law.

Robin Craig
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"Governing Shifting Species and Changing Ecosystems: What role Might Ecological Grief Play?," keynote address at the Species on the Move 2023 International Conference, Bonito Springs, Florida, on May 19, 2023.