David Mullon

David A. Mullon is a legislative and government affairs attorney and citizen of the Cherokee Nation who has dedicated his career to addressing issues that impact Native American tribes throughout the country.

David has significant government and private practice experience, working on issues related to energy, water, land use, natural resources, environmental law, healthcare law, and legislative affairs.

He has provided various legal services to the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) Nations, and subsequently worked with the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, playing a key role in the passage of legislation that affects Native American tribes.

Immediately before joining Venable, David served as chief counsel to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of Native American and Alaska Native tribal governments and communities.

Prior to that, he was a strong advocate for tribes through his positions with the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, including as minority staff director and as chief counsel.

David worked for and advised five separate committee chairs and vice chairs, and played key roles in drafting several bills, including the American Indian Probate Reform Act (AIPRA) of 2004, Title V (Indian Energy) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, portions of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) reauthorization, the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, several water settlement bills, and numerous other bills relating to federal Indian policy.

David served as the Cherokee Nation’s first in-house attorney and, later, as counsel. He represented the Nation in federal, state, and tribal courts, provided legal advice and counsel to the principal chief, developed tribal legislation for the Nation’s extensive Indian housing program, and drafted lengthy amendments to its membership and environmental codes.

He also negotiated tribal-state compacts and cooperative agreements with the state of Oklahoma, for automobile licensing and registration, and communicated the Nation’s legislative initiatives in Washington, DC.

For the Creek Nation, David served as attorney general, chief law enforcement officer, civil attorney, and legal advisor to the principal chief and National Council. He represented the Nation in all criminal and juvenile proceedings in tribal court, and all civil proceedings in tribal, state, and federal courts, including employment disputes, contracts, and compacts, and represented the Nation before various federal agencies.

Education :

• J.D. University of Tulsa College of Law 1980
• MIM with honors Thunderbird School of Global Management (American Graduate School of International Management) 1977
• B.A. with distinction University of Arizona 1975

Bar Admissions : District of Columbia, Oklahoma, Cherokee Nation

Court Admissions :

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• U.S. Supreme Court

Professional Memberships :

• Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
• Member, Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA)
• Member, Cherokee Nation Bar Association
• Member, Muscogee Creek Nation Bar Association