For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Mavis Harris
(202) 632-7003
NIGC Fills Critical Roles and Welcomes Diverse Legal Talent
WASHINGTON, DC, Thursday, February 27, 2020 – The National Indian Gaming Commission extends welcomes three new attorneys (and one return) to the Office of General Counsel; Barbara Marvin, Josh Proper, James Lewis, and Esther Dittler.
Ms. Dittler has re-joined the OGC after working as General Counsel for the Seneca Nation’s Tribal Gaming Commission. She will be working remotely from Buffalo, NY and we are happy to have her back in the NIGC fold. Esther graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University, Harper College and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Buffalo, School of Law, N.Y.
Before coming to NIGC, Ms. Marvin worked as a Trial Attorney at the Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resourced Division before joining the NIGC. She graduated from DePaul University, Ill. with a master’s degree, and received her Juris Doctor from Washington College of Law, Washington, DC, magna cum laude.
Mr. Lewis is joining the NIGC after working most recently in the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Office of General Counsel. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and received his Juris Doctor from Florida State University, Fla.
Prior to coming to NIGC, Mr. Proper worked as an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Hobbs Straus Dean and Walker in Washington, DC, and as a Tribal Attorney for the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians. Mr. Proper graduated from Dartmouth University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and obtained his Juris Doctor from The University of Arizona.
“As their backgrounds demonstrate, they bring a tremendous amount and variety of experience to the Office of General Counsel and NIGC as a whole,” said NIGC General Counsel Michael Hoenig, “We are thrilled to have them on board.”
“The opportunity to welcome attorneys with a diversity of experiences broadens the NIGC legal team’s skillset and supports a resilient workforce for the future,” said Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer. “Their proven success will enhance the Agency’s ability to serve as Indian gaming’s federal regulatory body.”
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The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act created the National Indian Gaming Commission to support tribal self-sufficiency and the integrity of Indian gaming. NIGC oversees the efficient regulation of 520 gaming establishments operated by 247 tribes across 29 states.
