Kristen Boyert

Kristen Boyert is a Senior Associate Attorney assisting Native American Tribal Nations and Tribal entities on a variety of matters such as tribal sovereignty and governance, business and economic development, contract negotiation and drafting, land acquisitions, tribal gaming, tribal law, human resources and employment matters, and cases involving the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).

Her work has encompassed advising Tribal Councils, tribal departments, and tribal entities; drafting and negotiating employment, independent contractor, commercial and service, and other agreements; drafting tribal ordinances and codes, policies, and resolutions; representing Tribes in ICWA related cases; among an array of other matters.

Kristen previously served as the Senior Tribal Attorney in the Office of Tribal Attorney for the Hoopa Valley Tribe. A high point of her tenure was the 2023 historic re-acquisition of 10,395 acres of the Tribe's ancestral lands, marking the largest acquisition of land since the establishment of the Hoopa Valley Reservation in 1864.

Before her career in Federal Indian law, Kristen gained valuable experience in the high-tech industry, holding positions at companies such as Google and Lyft, as well as early-stage start-ups.

While attending Albany Law School, she was an on-location human rights legal intern with an NGO in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (West Africa) shortly after the electoral civil war. During her time in Cote d'Ivoire, she conducted numerous interviews with various agency officials; attended the Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme de Cote d'Ivoire 2011 Rapport Annuel Conference; interviewed and recorded victim accounts; prepared numerous field reports and research papers; and presented on the research findings. Additionally, she participated in cultural events and was granted an audience with the King and his royal court of the Krindjabo Kingdom as the guest of honor.

Kristen holds a LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from Santa Clara University School of Law, a J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University with a concentration certificate in International Law and Practice, and a B.A. from the University of Southern California.